Houthi missile kills 12 at Riyadh airport, Trump weighs US strikes

A Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 on Saturday, marking the deadliest attack on Saudi territory in over a decade. Victims included one American citizen along with nationals of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Sudan, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. The strike forced temporary closure of the airport, shifted Riyadh schools to remote learning and prompted renewed Houthi warnings that Saudi airports remain targets except those in Mecca and Medina.

The attack occurred amid renewed fighting in Yemen after the collapse of a 2022 truce. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 4 to recapture Houthi-held territory, including areas along the Red Sea coast. Houthi forces have responded with cross-border strikes while tightening sieges around Taiz and disputing government claims of advances. Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have hit Sanaa, killing at least one child in the Sa’wan area and prompting civilian stockpiling of food and fuel.

President Trump stated the United States is considering joining Saudi operations against the Houthis. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” he told reporters. Saudi officials requested urgent U.S. defense support. The coalition labeled the Riyadh attack a war crime and vowed a decisive response. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and officials from the United States, Germany, Canada, Qatar and others condemned the strike as a violation of international law.

Houthi-run media reported 91 Yemenis killed and 168 injured by coalition strikes in the past five weeks, with 60 percent described as women and children. More than 200,000 people have been displaced in recent fighting, primarily from Taiz governorate, according to the International Organization for Migration. Analysts noted Houthi forces have improved targeting while Saudi Arabia faces interceptor shortages.

The five-day WPC Energy Congress proceeded in Riyadh despite the airport disruption. The Houthis have also targeted shipping routes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising concerns over global energy supplies. No independent verification exists for competing casualty claims or the precise origin of the projectile that struck Riyadh.