At least 12 people were killed and 309 injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said, in the deadliest single assault on a Gulf Arab state since the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran began in February.
Of the dead, four were Saudi citizens, two were from Bangladesh, and one each came from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, the authority said. Several of the injured are in critical condition. A Saudi-led military coalition called the attack a “war crime” and blamed Yemen’s Houthis, according to BBC live coverage. It was the deadliest attack in the kingdom since May 2015.
Hospitals in the capital were overwhelmed with casualties, and thick smoke rose from the terminal, where heavy damage was visible. A missile struck a complex housing terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, a regional official told The Associated Press. An injured traveller told Reuters they saw something fly across the sky before part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed.
The Houthis have not formally claimed Saturday’s assault, but the head of their media office said the group had “shut down” the airport, Al Jazeera reported. The group did claim separate strikes on the same airport on Thursday, which killed three Saudis, including a pilot, and damaged an aircraft. Reuters counted four deaths across the two earlier attacks this week, and the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground.
Trump Says US May Join Strikes
Asked whether Washington might join Saudi Arabia in strikes on the Houthis, President Donald Trump said, “We may,” adding, “We’re going to look at it.” “We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision,” he told reporters. He called the attack a “terrible thing.” Later on Saturday, Trump said he planned to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and that what happened in Saudi Arabia was “not acceptable.” Yemen’s government has already complained that Washington ignored its requests for strikes on the Houthis.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among the dead, saying the attacks “must stop now.” The UK is already giving Saudi Arabia air-to-air refuelling support, and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC more help was “potentially” possible. He said the attack on a civilian site “cannot be justified under any circumstances” but that offensive UK action was not at that stage. London maintains there is no military solution to the conflict.
Houthis Warn Against Using Saudi Airspace
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree repeated the group’s warning against using Saudi airports and airspace, saying they are potential targets. Mecca and Medina were excluded. The group said Saudi Arabia is responsible for failed interception attempts.
Flights Halted, Airlines Pull Out
Saudi aviation authorities suspended operations at King Khalid and diverted all flights. The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada urged citizens to avoid the airport. At least 291 flights were cancelled at the airport over the preceding 24 hours, according to FlightAware data, Arab News reported.
Air India, flydubai, the Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines had already suspended Saudi flights for varying periods. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its guidance on Saudi airspace, warning of a greater focus on aviation infrastructure. Hours after the Riyadh attack, coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, without giving details.
Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defence support, regional officials told the AP last month.
International Condemnation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” and called the attack a breach of international law. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it a serious threat to regional peace and stability, days after Pakistan and Turkiye moved to rush troops to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Pact. Egypt voiced strong condemnation, and Qatar called it a direct threat to regional security, saying Saudi security is integral to that of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the attacks “abhorrent,” and Oman’s foreign minister spoke with his Saudi counterpart about the need for diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions.
The World Petroleum Conference is still due to run in Riyadh from Sunday until October 15, near the airport. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry confirmed the events would begin as planned.
The attack comes as concern grows that the US and Israel could resume military action against Iran, after efforts to broker an end to the war failed. Iran gave Washington a deadline in September, and Gulf leaders arrived at the UN General Assembly fearing exactly this kind of escalation. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, extending Yemen’s civil war, now over a decade old.
