A devastating attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has claimed 12 lives and wounded over 300 people, marking the deadliest incident in any Gulf Arab country since the Iran war escalated. Saudi authorities confirmed the casualties, which include multiple nationalities, as the region grapples with heightened tensions between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. The assault has prompted the suspension of airport operations, sparked international warnings, and intensified calls for military support from Saudi allies like the United States, further exacerbating the complex regional conflict.
A recent and devastating attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has claimed 12 lives and wounded more than 300 people, with several victims in critical condition, civil aviation authorities confirmed early Sunday. This incident marks the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the onset of the Iran war, a conflict whose fronts have expanded significantly, now encompassing the intensified clashes between Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi-backed government forces.
The official statement, which notably refrained from assigning blame for the assault, detailed the nationalities of the deceased, including four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, and a Sudanese. Hospitals across the region are actively treating the injured.
This latest attack — following several others on King Khalid International Airport in the past week, which had already resulted in four fatalities — is anticipated to intensify Saudi Arabia's calls for increased military support from allies, including the United States. Following Saturday afternoon's attack, President Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. was evaluating potential involvement in Saudi strikes against the Houthis. "We may. We're going to look at it," Trump stated. "We just found out about the recent attack. So we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."
According to a regional official who spoke anonymously, a missile struck a complex housing terminals 3 and 4, typically used for domestic flights. The surge in attacks, which also targeted other Saudi airports, military installations, and vital oil infrastructure, comes one week after a Saudi-led coalition initiated a major military offensive against the Houthis. While the rebels did not immediately claim responsibility for the Riyadh attack, they had earlier accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital.
Riyadh Airport Operations Suspended Amid Attack Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath, Saudi civil aviation authorities announced the suspension of airport operations, with an official notice to aviators indicating the suspension would remain until midnight. A heavy police presence was observed at the airport, with all entrances blocked and lights around the complex dimmed. Flight tracking services like Flightradar24 showed numerous diversions.
Several nations, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, and Canada, issued warnings advising their citizens to avoid the airport, later pivoting to expressions of condolence. Later on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition reported that a projectile had landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and that a Houthi-launched ballistic missile had been intercepted in Al-Kharj governorate, southeast of Riyadh.
These attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil exporter, have sent ripples through global markets and heightened regional instability. Despite the immediate crisis, the Saudi energy ministry continued to promote a major international energy conference scheduled to commence in Riyadh on Sunday.
The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated dramatically. The Saudi-led coalition is providing critical air support for government forces attempting to regain ground lost to Houthi advancements along Yemen's Red Sea coast. These Houthi gains provide enhanced surveillance capabilities over a crucial shipping corridor, an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been implicated in attacks on vessels.
Although the Houthis have consistently stated their intention to target only Saudi shipping in retaliation for a blockade imposed on them, broader concerns about wider attacks persist. Previous Houthi attacks on other ships, carried out in solidarity with Palestinians after the war in Gaza began, were significantly curtailed by a U.S. bombing campaign.
Saudi Arabia Seeks International Air Defense Support
Regional officials revealed last month that Saudi Arabia is facing a shortage of missile interceptors and has requested France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to deploy air defense support to the region. One official noted that even the U.S. has seen its own stock dwindle during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
U.S. assistance to the Saudi-led coalition has reportedly included intelligence sharing, target identification, and strategic planning for the latest offensive against the Houthis. Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister and his Omani counterpart held a phone conversation emphasizing the importance of "supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions" in the region. Oman, strategically located across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has historically played a mediating role in regional disputes.
Growing Flight Disruptions in Saudi Airspace
The Houthis had issued a stern warning this week to global airlines, stating "for the last time" the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they declared a theater for their military operations.
Prior to the latest attack, several major carriers, including Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa, and Pakistan International Airlines, had already suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for various durations. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, acknowledging the Houthis' enhanced capability to strike targets deeper within the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a "greater focus on aviation infrastructure." EASA cautioned that the combination of missile and drone attacks and interception efforts creates "an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft."
Two regional officials, speaking anonymously due to not being authorized to brief the media, confirmed that Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport on Thursday had damaged three planes. Saudi Arabia's national carrier later stated that one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground, fortunately with no passengers on board.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities issued a public warning this week, stating that "filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability."
