Riyadh. According to the state aviation authority, twelve people were killed in a devastating attack on the main airport in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. 309 others were injured, some of whose lives were in danger in the morning. It is the highest number of victims in an attack on the US-allied Gulf state since the start of the Iran war at the end of February. Its fronts have expanded to include the conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthi militia and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen.
The Saudi-led military alliance blamed the Houthis for the recent attack on King Khalid International Airport. The attack on one of the passenger terminals was a “downright war crime,” wrote the alliance’s spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, on the X platform and announced a decisive response. US President Donald Trump said shortly after the attack that he was examining whether the US should join the Saudi attacks on the Houthis in neighboring Yemen. "Maybe. We'll look into it," CBS News quoted him as saying.
The Houthi militia recently increased its attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia and also claimed responsibility for ballistic missile attacks on Riyadh airport and other facilities. King Khalid International Airport was attacked on Thursday. Three Saudi nationals were killed. The Houthi rebels also accused Saudi Arabia of having attacked the airport in the western Yemeni port city of Hudaida and other areas from the air.
Meanwhile, operations there were temporarily suspended due to the renewed attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Airport on Saturday. According to the Saudi Aviation Authority, four of the people killed were of Saudi nationality and two were of Bangladeshi nationality. One person each from the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and the Palestinian territories also died.
The United States condemned the Houthi militia's recent attacks on Saudi Arabia "in the strongest terms," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on Platform X. "These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for the lives of innocent civilians. They must stop immediately." The United States stands with Saudi Arabia, Rubio added.
The airports in Riyadh and Abha in southwest Yemen were attacked by the Houthis just this week. According to the Saudi Arabian aviation authorities, three people were killed. King Khalid Airport was most recently attacked on Thursday. The Houthis had claimed responsibility for each of the attacks. There was initially no letter of responsibility from the rebel group for the renewed attack on Saturday.
The US mission in Saudi Arabia urged all US citizens in the allied kingdom to avoid King Khalid International Airport and surrounding areas. U.S. government employees needed special permission to use the airport as well as airports in Jeddah and Dammam, the U.S. Embassy wrote in a statement, advising extreme caution when using all major airports in the country.
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognized government for more than a decade. Saudi Arabia repeatedly carries out air strikes in the neighboring country. Last weekend, the Yemeni government announced a large-scale offensive to retake all areas controlled by the Houthi rebels. The Houthis have recently been able to gain strategically important areas for themselves. The latest escalation marks another front in the Middle East conflict that has gripped the region since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began in February.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the central point of conflict in the war between Tehran and Washington. A tanker was attacked there again. According to the captain, the ship was hit by an “unknown projectile,” reported the British Maritime Safety Authority (UKMTO). A fire broke out, but the crew was said to be safe. The extent of the damage is still unclear. It is also still uncertain who was responsible for the attack.
Since the start of the Iran War at the end of February, Iran has blocked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global energy trade, with threats and attacks on ships. A tanker was attacked there again, as reported by the British Shipping Safety Authority (UKMTO). The US military, for its part, said it attacked another civilian freighter for attempting to break through the naval blockade against Iran. The engine was disabled, but the crew was not injured.
