US President Donald Trump has indicated that Washington could join military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels following a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which reportedly killed at least 12 people and injured 309 others.
The attack has heightened tensions across the Middle East, with the Saudi-led coalition accusing the Iran-backed Houthi movement of targeting civilian passengers and airport personnel.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki condemned the incident as a “full-fledged war crime” and warned that a decisive response would follow.
The attack reportedly involved a missile, according to a diplomatic source, while a passenger who spoke to AFP described scenes of panic and confusion at the airport’s domestic terminal.
“I was on gate 403. I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running,” the passenger said.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the casualties included citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan, as well as a Palestinian national.
Some of the injured were reported to be in serious condition, prompting medical authorities to mobilise additional doctors to handle what was described as a major emergency.
Airport operations were suspended as authorities assessed the damage, while schools across Riyadh moved to remote learning for the week following an education ministry directive.
The incident comes amid a renewed escalation in hostilities between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government following the collapse of a United Nations-brokered truce.
The coalition said it had intercepted missiles aimed at Saudi Arabia and destroyed launch platforms in earlier operations. Although the Houthis previously claimed responsibility for attacks on the airport on Thursday, they had not immediately acknowledged responsibility for the latest reported strikes.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump suggested that the United States could participate in military action against the rebels when asked whether he had reconsidered joining Saudi strikes.
“We may,” the US president said, adding that he intended to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump described the attack as unacceptable, while several Western diplomatic missions warned their citizens to avoid the airport amid heightened security concerns.
A senior Western diplomat told AFP that some embassies had prohibited their staff from using the airport for the following week.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security under their defence agreement.
The latest violence has raised concerns about a broader regional confrontation, particularly as the conflict threatens strategic shipping routes and energy markets.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have reportedly launched a counter-offensive against Houthi positions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical passage for international oil and cargo shipments through the Red Sea.
Yemen’s government said the operation was intended to recover territories controlled by the rebels, while the Houthis claimed they had repelled the advancing forces.
The battlefield claims could not be independently verified, highlighting the difficulty of confirming developments amid the intensifying conflict.
With Riyadh facing renewed security threats and Washington considering possible military involvement, the latest airport attack threatens to deepen an already volatile confrontation in the Middle East.
