Houthi Missile Strike Kills 12 at Riyadh Airport in Deadliest Attack on Saudi Arabia in Over a Decade

SYDNEY — A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people and wounded 309 others on Saturday, Saudi authorities said, marking the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensified their campaign against civilian aviation targets.

The blast struck a passenger terminal complex housing domestic flights terminals, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. Among the dead were four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Some of the wounded remained in critical condition and were treated at multiple hospitals after being rushed by ambulance and helicopter.

The attack was the third this week on the airport that serves the capital of about 8 million people. Two earlier strikes killed four people and heavily damaged a Saudia commercial aircraft parked on the tarmac. Airport operations were suspended pending damage and safety assessments, with the closure extending into Sunday and more than 600 flights canceled or diverted.

Saudi-led coalition forces fighting the Houthis in Yemen attributed the strike to the Iran-aligned group. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki described it as a "cowardly terrorist attack" on a passenger terminal that resulted in deaths and injuries among civilians and airport staff.

"The attack on King Khalid International Airport is a terrorist act and will be met with a firm response," Al-Malki said in a statement. He added that the strike "constitutes a full-fledged war crime according to the Customary International Humanitarian Law. It is a heinous act that contradicts all principles, values, and ethics. Therefore, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will respond decisively to this terrorist attack in accordance with the Customary International Humanitarian Law."

A senior Houthi official, Nasr al-Din Amer, appeared to claim responsibility, writing on X: "We shut down Riyadh international airport." Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree later renewed warnings to airlines, airport workers and travelers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, describing them as a "theatre of operations" for the group's forces, with the exception of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. He said Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for any failed interceptions.

The escalation comes after a ceasefire in Yemen's long-running civil war unraveled earlier this year. Saudi Arabia has been supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Houthis, who control large parts of the country including the capital Sanaa and have expanded operations along the Red Sea coast. The group has launched repeated missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and other targets this summer and fall, exposing gaps in the kingdom's air defenses.

U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the attack and said Washington was reviewing whether to join Saudi military operations against the Houthis. "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," Trump told reporters. He described the strike as "not acceptable" and a "terrible thing," adding that he planned to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "The Saudis are good fighters," he said. "But I think the attack was a terrible thing."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed an American citizen was among the dead and said the attacks demonstrated "a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life." Several international airlines, including carriers from Europe, India, the Gulf and Pakistan, suspended or limited flights to Riyadh and other Saudi destinations. Flight tracking data showed widespread cancellations and delays. Passengers with luggage were seen stranded near metro stations outside the airport as authorities urged travelers to contact their airlines.

King Khalid International Airport is Saudi Arabia's second-busiest, handling hundreds of thousands of flights annually. The repeated targeting of the facility, including an earlier strike this week that killed a Saudia pilot, has disrupted travel to the capital ahead of major energy and investment conferences that organizers said would proceed.

The broader conflict has roots in the wider regional tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The Houthis have framed their strikes as responses to Saudi support for Yemeni government forces and what they call aggression against their territory. Saudi officials and the coalition maintain the group is carrying out terrorist attacks on civilians in violation of international law.
Witnesses described panic in the terminal. One traveler told reporters of seeing something fly across the sky before part of a ceiling near a departure gate collapsed. Another said people ran as injured passengers lay on the floor. Saudi health authorities activated emergency measures to handle the influx of casualties, some of whom included pilgrims traveling toward Mecca.

Stock markets in the region reacted, with Saudi shares declining the following day. Energy facilities and alternative airports such as the one in Dammam have also faced threats or near-misses amid the campaign. The coalition reported intercepting other projectiles and destroying launch platforms in Houthi-held areas, though the group continues to demonstrate the ability to reach deep into Saudi territory.

International reactions focused on the civilian toll and the risk of further escalation. The attack underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the world's largest oil exporter and the challenges of containing a conflict that has already disrupted regional air travel and raised concerns about shipping lanes. Saudi authorities continued assessing the full extent of property damage at the airport while hospitals treated the wounded.

As of Sunday, Riyadh airport remained closed with no immediate timeline for full reopening. The Houthis reiterated their warnings against using Saudi airspace, and the Saudi-led coalition signaled it would continue responding to the strikes. The death toll and injury count from Saturday's attack stand as the highest from a single incident on Saudi soil in over a decade, according to official figures, highlighting the intensifying human cost of the renewed fighting.