At Least 12 Killed in Houthi Strike on Riyadh Airport

At least 12 people died and more than 300 were injured after a missile struck the international airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh on Saturday. The attack marks the third strike on King Khalid International Airport in a single week as conflict escalates between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition.

Casualties and Impact at Riyadh Airport

Civil aviation authorities reported early Sunday that the strike hit a section housing domestic flight terminals 3 and 4. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a regional official said a missile directly struck the terminal complex. Witnesses described panic as explosions sent shattered glass through waiting areas, with one bystander reporting that people fled after gate 401 was hit.

A Saudi statement confirmed that the dead included four Saudi nationals alongside citizens from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and the United States. Medical personnel are treating the injured across several regional hospitals, where some victims remain in critical condition.

The strike is part of a series of aerial bombardments targeting Saudi aviation hubs. Two earlier attacks on the Riyadh airport this week killed four people and damaged an aircraft. Saudi-led coalition forces also reported that a separate projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, a facility that has served as an alternative hub during recent disruptions.

International and Military Responses

The Saudi-led coalition blamed Houthi insurgents for the strikes. Houthi leadership did not immediately release a statement regarding the Riyadh incident, though the group accused Saudi forces earlier on Saturday of launching strikes against the airport in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital of Sana’a.

United States President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing potential participation in military action against the rebels. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” Trump stated, adding, “We move very quickly.” United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the airport strikes as “reprehensible” and insisted that “they must stop now.”

Conflicting Reports Over Bab al-Mandab Push

The strikes occurred alongside intensified ground combat in southwestern Yemen, where pro-government forces initiated an offensive to reclaim the Bab al-Mandab strait. The narrow waterway and Perim Island serve as vital transit points for maritime shipping between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Participating factions presented conflicting accounts regarding the outcome of the battle. Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber stated that the strait had been completely cleared of Houthi forces, while Southern Transitional Council President Aidarous al-Zubaidi claimed fighters had secured Perim Island. However, a military spokesperson for the United Nations-recognized government, Waddah al-Dabish, stated that government forces had recontrolled only half of the territory. Conversely, a Houthi spokesperson claimed the offensive was repelled, stating that rebel counter-attacks destroyed more than 22 armored vehicles and inflicted heavy casualties on pro-government troops.

Background

Yemen has descended back into full-scale conflict following the breakdown of a truce in July between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government. Since the ceasefire unravelled, Houthis have launched repeated attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and shipping routes.

United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg informed the UN Security Council that the resurgence of open warfare poses severe risks to civilians, warning that women and children will suffer the heaviest consequences of the renewed fighting.