Iran-backed Houthi terrorists killed at least 12 people, including an American citizen, and wounded 309 others Saturday in a missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport, prompting President Donald Trump to consider joining Saudi-led military strikes against the terrorist group.
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The missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, hitting a complex housing two passenger terminals and sending travelers fleeing as emergency crews rushed to evacuate the wounded.
Saudi aviation authorities confirmed the fatalities included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and citizens of seven other countries, including the United States. Several victims remained in critical condition.
Asked whether American forces would join Saudi Arabia’s military campaign, Trump said a decision could come quickly.
“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.
“Have you decided whether to join the Saudi strikes on the Houthis?”
@POTUS: “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.” https://t.co/8aUAneK2xB
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 10, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the assault and reaffirmed American support for Saudi Arabia.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio said.
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The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, boasting that they had shut down Riyadh’s international airport. The group previously threatened commercial aircraft operating in Saudi airspace without its approval.
Saturday’s strike marked the third attack on Riyadh’s main airport this week, following earlier missile assaults that killed civilians and damaged commercial aircraft.
Saudi Arabia’s military coalition condemned the latest attack as a war crime and promised retaliation.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesman, said the attack would be met with a firm military response consistent with international humanitarian law.
The escalating violence follows a Saudi-backed counteroffensive in Yemen aimed at reclaiming territory seized by Houthi forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical shipping passage connecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have threatened Saudi-linked shipping through the strategic waterway as regional tensions intensify. Washington has already provided Saudi Arabia with intelligence, targeting assistance and operational planning support.
Direct American strikes would significantly expand U.S. involvement in the conflict.
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