A Houthi missile strike on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has killed 12 people and injured 309 others, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to threaten a decisive response.
The attack on Saturday disrupted airport operations and triggered emergency medical measures in the Saudi capital. According to the kingdom’s civil aviation authority, the dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and citizens of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Some of the injured were in serious condition.
According to The Japan Times, the coalition blamed Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group for the attack, calling it a war crime against civilians. The strike came amid an intensifying wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia following the collapse of a United Nations-brokered truce in July.
US President Donald Trump indicated that Washington could join military action against the Houthis, saying the possibility remained open. Several Western embassies in Saudi Arabia also warned their citizens to stay away from the airport.
The attack has heightened fears of a wider regional conflict as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces push to regain territory held by the Houthis near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic passage for global shipping.
The Houthis have also claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on the Riyadh airport. With both sides continuing military operations, the risk of further escalation remains high.
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