Houthis strike Riyadh airport, killing 12 and wounding 300

Yemen’s Houthis killed at least 12 people and wounded 300 others in a strike on Riyadh International Airport on Saturday. The bombing marks the third attack on the facility this week and stands as the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The Saudi civil aviation authority identified the victims as four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.

The strike comes as fighting intensifies in Yemen. Houthi forces are clashing with troops aligned with the internationally recognised government for control of the country. Saudi Arabia is currently running an air campaign against the Iran-backed group to back the Yemeni government’s ground operations.

President Donald Trump called the bombing terrible and said he will speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman soon. He added that Washington is reviewing its options and may join the fight against the Houthis. “We may. We’re gonna look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We’ll move very quickly,” Trump said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed an American citizen was killed and urged an immediate halt to the strikes.

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned that targeting civilian airports represents “a grave escalation.” He stated that “Such actions pose a serious threat to regional security, perpetuate cycles of violence and complicate even more peace efforts for Yemen.”

Governments across the Middle East and South Asia quickly denounced the bombing. Egypt’s foreign ministry called the strikes a flagrant violation of international law. Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the bombing as a serious violation of Saudi sovereignty and a direct threat to the security of the region, the safety of civilians, civil facilities and air navigation, pledging full solidarity with Riyadh. The Palestinian foreign ministry echoed the condemnation and backed all security measures taken by Saudi Arabia. Pakistan declared the attack a heinous act of terrorism and a grave threat to regional peace and security, noting that Islamabad activated a mutual defence pact with Riyadh and stands in unwavering solidarity with its ally.

Japan’s embassy in Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the repeated strikes, stating that assaults on civilians cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. The coordinated global response underscores widespread concern over the widening conflict and its impact on civilian infrastructure.