Saudi Arabia closed Riyadh’s international airport and reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries after a Saturday missile strike, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to weigh military intervention against Houthi forces.
Houthi Missiles Strike Riyadh Airport
A missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded 309 on Saturday, marking the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. A 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant bled to death after her arm was severed, while four Saudis and multiple foreign nationals were among the dead, according to officials briefed on the matter. Two passenger terminals suffered partial roof collapses as panicked passengers fled past blood-stained floors. A fresh strike on Sunday hit the airport again, killing one Pakistani national and injuring 11 others, as Saudi aviation authorities assessed extensive facility damage.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the weekend assault, stating they had carried out operations in the past 24 hours using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones
. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the group also targeted the Dammam airport in the kingdom’s Eastern Province alongside two facilities belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco. Witnesses at Dammam reported seeing a projectile strike the tarmac near parked aircraft, triggering a fire.
The weekend strikes followed a major offensive launched last week by a Saudi-led coalition backing forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The military coalition had stepped up its involvement after Houthi rebels seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month, including areas surrounding the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait. In response to the coalition’s airstrikes, the Houthi-run foreign ministry stated through Al Masirah television that unless the Saudi enemy stopped its aggression and interference, worse was yet to come, adding that actions would be guided by the principle of reciprocity.
Trump Considers Military Intervention
President Donald Trump told reporters that Washington is evaluating whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthi rebels following the devastating weekend assault. We may. We’re going to look at it,
Trump said, adding that his administration moves very quickly once informed of new escalations. The potential U.S. involvement comes on the heels of a regional conflict ignited when the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February.
Airport Closures Prompt Flight Diversions and Travel Warnings
The sustained aerial barrage has laid bare vulnerabilities in Saudi defensive architecture.
International aviation authorities reacted to the deteriorating security situation. Flight tracking services showed widespread commercial flight diversions after King Khalid International Airport was closed following the attack. Major international countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, and Canada, warned citizens to avoid the airport as regional energy markets absorbed the assaults on the world’s top oil exporter.
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