Politics 5 min read By Alice Ashford
Riyadh airport hit by missile attack as flights suspended and US weighs joining Saudi campaign
A missile struck a terminal complex at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, wounding several people and forcing the suspension of operations. The attack comes as President Trump considers whether to join Saudi Arabia's fight against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
A missile struck a complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, wounding several people and forcing Saudi authorities to suspend operations, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said.
Ambulances rushed to the scene and a heavy police presence blocked all entrances to the airport, with lights around the complex dimmed. The number of wounded and the extent of the damage were still being assessed. Flights were diverted elsewhere, according to the Flightradar24 tracker.
The attack is the latest in an extraordinary series of assaults on Saudi Arabia that has rattled markets and the region. Just days earlier, three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed in strikes that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed this week on King Khalid International Airport as well as other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure.
President Donald Trump told reporters he was evaluating whether the United States should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis in neighbouring Yemen. «We may. We're going to look at it,» Trump said. «We just found out about the recent attack. So we'll make a decision. We move very quickly.»
The surge in attacks has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis. There was no immediate Houthi statement on Saturday's attack.
The escalation has prompted countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada to warn citizens to avoid the airport. At least 225 flights at Riyadh airport had been cancelled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines have been among the airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next few days.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis' ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a «greater focus on aviation infrastructure.» The missile and drone attacks and interception efforts «create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,» it said.
In Thursday's attack, the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground, with no passengers on board.
The Houthis warned global airlines «for the last time» this week about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theatre for their military operations.
Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defence support to the region, regional officials said last month, with one noting that the US has seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran. Officials said US assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.
The Saudi and Omani foreign ministers spoke by phone about the importance of «supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions» in the region, the kingdom said Saturday. Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has played a mediator role at times in the region.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that «filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.»
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. The rebels' gains gave them better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that is a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.
Though the Houthis have said they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist. The Houthis previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A US bombing campaign ended that.
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