A missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, hitting Terminals 3 and 4 and wounding dozens of people, Saudi officials said — the most damaging attack yet in a week of strikes on the Saudi capital's main airport. President Donald Trump told reporters the United States "may" join Saudi strikes on Yemen's Houthi militants, the clearest signal yet that Washington could enter the widening Yemen war. The airport was evacuated and closed, and foreign embassies warned their citizens to stay away.
What happened at the airport on Saturday?
A missile struck a passenger terminal on Saturday, wounding many people, a regional official told the Associated Press. A diplomatic source told AFP the missile hit at around 1200 GMT. The Wall Street Journal, citing Saudi officials, reported that the missiles landed direct hits on Terminals 3 and 4, injuring dozens — several in critical condition — and causing extensive damage, with parts of the roof falling on people inside the terminals. Ambulances and helicopters ferried the wounded to nearby hospitals, and doctors were called in from other facilities to handle the surge.
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority confirmed the attack, saying it caused "a number of injuries" and announcing the temporary suspension of flights. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 showed all flights to Riyadh diverted or canceled, with Kuwait Airways canceling services to the capital over the security situation; Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways had earlier canceled multiple flights to and from Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday.
Did the Houthis claim responsibility for Saturday's strike?
Not by the time of publication. Both CNN and the AP noted there was no immediate Houthi claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack. The Wall Street Journal attributed the strike to Yemen's Houthi militants, and Spain's embassy described it as a "new attack" by the group — but the attribution remains contested at this hour: the kingdom's own communications office had not publicly confirmed the details of the attack, and the Houthis had issued no statement.
The Houthis did claim earlier strikes this week, according to the AP. This week's airport attacks have now killed four people, the AP reported: three on Thursday, including a Saudia pilot, and a Sudanese national in a strike on Wednesday. The Houthis said this week that Saudi airspace is now "part of the battlefield," as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government presses an offensive against the group earlier this month.
What did Trump say about joining the fight?
Asked Saturday whether Washington would provide military support to Saudi retaliation against the Houthis, Trump left the door open: "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." The AP reported that Trump is evaluating whether the US should join Saudi strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The statement marks a sharp shift from last month, when Trump reportedly declined Saudi requests for direct strikes on the Houthis. A new State Department warning on Thursday said US government officials now need special authorization to use the Riyadh airport, and the UK warned against all but essential travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh. Canada already recommended airlines avoid Saudi airspace, while France warned against much of it.
Why does this attack matter beyond the terminal?
The timing is economic as well as military: Riyadh is due to host major energy and investment conferences this month, including the kingdom's flagship Future Investment Initiative summit expected to draw thousands of global executives and investors. Conference organizers said Saturday the events would go ahead as planned, but the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi leaders are growing more worried the conflict will damage the economy — and that they are concerned about tight supplies of missile interceptors needed to fend off the attacks.
Geopolitical risk firm Dragonfly noted the kingdom appears to be struggling to intercept the attacks, which it said are likely to continue. Saudi Arabia's early warning system did not issue an alert ahead of Saturday's incident, CNN reported.
Attribution for Saturday's strike rests on the Wall Street Journal's reporting and official Saudi accounts; the Houthis had not claimed responsibility by publication time. Casualty figures are reported by Saudi officials and remain preliminary. This article carries no financial content; market figures reflect Friday's close, before Saturday's attack.
