Houthis Kill 12 Including American in Riyadh Airport Attack; Trump Says U.S. May Join Saudi Response

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, killing at least 12 people—including one American citizen—and injuring more than 300, Saudi officials said. It was the deadliest such strike on the kingdom in more than a decade and the third attack on the airport in a week.

A missile struck a complex housing domestic terminals 3 and 4, prompting evacuation and suspension of operations. Casualties included Saudis, Bangladeshis, a Palestinian, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, a Sudanese, and the American. Hospitals received wounded by ambulance and helicopter; some were reported in critical condition. The Saudi-led coalition called the strike a war crime against a civilian facility. A senior Houthi official claimed responsibility as retaliation for Saudi actions in Yemen.

President Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said the United States “may” join Saudi strikes on the Houthis. “We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly,” he said. He later called the attack “not acceptable” and said he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed an American was killed and demanded the strikes stop.

The attacks form part of a broader Houthi campaign against Saudi targets that has intensified alongside the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran that began in February. Earlier strikes this week killed additional people and damaged a commercial aircraft. The Houthis have also targeted other Saudi airports, military sites, and energy infrastructure.

Trump previously supported limited Saudi actions against the Houthis and conducted U.S. strikes on the group last year. No immediate U.S. military response was announced. The incident adds a new front involving an Iran-backed proxy while the naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect.