Trump Says US May Join Saudi Strikes on Houthis After Riyadh Airport Attack

Riyadh, Oct 11 : A Saudi-led military coalition has vowed a “firm response” to a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured 309, as US President Donald Trump said Washington may consider joining Saudi military strikes against the Iran-backed militia.

The attack on a passenger terminal on Saturday amounted to a “full-fledged war crime” under international humanitarian law, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

“The attack on King Khalid International Airport is a terrorist act and will be met with a firm response,” Al-Maliki said in a statement posted on X. He added that the coalition’s joint forces command would respond in accordance with international humanitarian law and customary rules.

Describing the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as unacceptable, Trump said he planned to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“The Saudis are good fighters. But I think the attack was a terrible thing,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Saudi Arabia could defend itself against the Houthis.

Asked outside the White House whether Washington would join Saudi strikes against the militia, Trump said, “We may. We're going to look at it.”

He added that the US had only recently learned of the attack and would make a decision quickly.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed and condemned the attack.

“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio wrote on X.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Sunday that 12 people had been killed and 309 injured in the airport attack. The dead included four Saudi citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Airport operations have been temporarily suspended as authorities assess the damage, the civil aviation authority said.

Separately, a drone targeting the Kingdom’s eastern region was intercepted and destroyed. The coalition also intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile in Al-Kharj governorate, according to SPA.

The incidents have heightened concerns over threats to Saudi airports and civil aviation amid the continuing regional conflict.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, citing the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the Kingdom and their increasing focus on aviation infrastructure. It warned that missile and drone attacks, as well as interception operations, could increase the risk of civilian aircraft being misidentified.

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg described the attacks as “a grave escalation” that posed a serious threat to regional security.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the strike, stating that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.

Yemen’s civil war, which had experienced years of relative calm, flared up again this summer and intensified significantly last month.

Saudi Arabia has spent 11 years attempting to contain the conflict along its southern border through military action and diplomatic efforts. Riyadh initially led military operations against the Houthis before pursuing negotiations aimed at securing peace.

The latest attack threatens to further escalate regional tensions and raises the prospect of direct US involvement in Saudi military operations against the Houthi militia.