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

The missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others on Saturday, marking the deadliest assault on Saudi territory in over a decade. Saudi civil aviation authorities identified victims from multiple countries, including one American, four Saudis, and nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Sudan. Airport operations remained suspended into Sunday as authorities extended the closure.

Yemen's Houthi group, backed by Iran, renewed warnings on social media against using Saudi airports and airspace, excluding those in Mecca and Medina. The group urged airlines and travelers to heed the alerts and placed responsibility on Saudi Arabia for any interception failures. Saudi officials and the coalition backing Yemen's recognized government attributed the strike to the Houthis and labeled it a war crime, promising a decisive response under international humanitarian law.

President Donald Trump stated that the United States would examine joining Saudi operations against the Houthis. "We may. We're going to look at it," he told reporters, noting the recent nature of the incident. Two Saudi officials described requests for urgent American defense assistance to counter the rebels. The attack follows renewed fighting after a UN-brokered ceasefire largely held since 2022 collapsed, with the Houthis seizing Red Sea coastal territory last month and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launching Operation Dawn of Yemen.

Additional projectiles were reported near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and a drone was intercepted in the Eastern Province. The Saudi-led coalition has conducted strikes on Houthi positions, including in Sanaa, where air raids have caused civilian casualties such as the death of one child and injuries to seven others. The Houthi-run Health Ministry claims 91 deaths and 168 injuries from coalition actions in recent weeks, with a majority of fatalities among women and children.

The conflict's spillover from the broader confrontation with Iran has raised concerns over global energy markets and shipping routes. Past patterns show that measured responses to proxy aggression often invite further testing of resolve, as seen in repeated Houthi threats and attacks on civilian infrastructure. Saudi Arabia's involvement stems from efforts to counter Iranian influence through the Houthis, who have used Yemen as a base for regional disruption.

International reactions included condemnations from several Arab states and the United Nations. Operations at Riyadh's airport and related energy discussions continue amid the uncertainty. The sequence of events underscores how external backing for militant groups sustains cycles of retaliation, with direct costs to noncombatants and economic stability on multiple sides.