Saudi Arabia’s military coalition has vowed a firm response after an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured 309 others, as fighting with Iran-backed Houthi forces escalates and Washington considers joining Saudi military operations against the group.
The strike on Saturday was the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade, according to Reuters. Saudi authorities said the dead included four Saudi citizens and eight foreign nationals: two Bangladeshis and one citizen each of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Several of the injured were in critical condition.
The attack damaged terminals 3 and 4 at the airport, with part of a ceiling reportedly collapsing. Witnesses described explosions and panic among travellers as emergency crews rushed to transport the wounded to hospitals.
The strike followed two earlier attacks on the airport during the same week, which killed four people and damaged a Saudi commercial aircraft, according to Reuters. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis for Saturday’s attack, although the group had not immediately issued an explicit claim of responsibility.
Riyadh vows a firm response
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki described the targeting of the airport as a “fully-fledged war crime,” accusing the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilians, including passengers and airport workers.
Al-Maliki said the joint forces command would respond firmly in accordance with international humanitarian law and customary international law. He did not specify the nature or timing of any retaliatory military action.
Explosions were reported in Riyadh again on Sunday. Journalists from Agence France-Presse reported hearing a blast in the city centre, while residents in the northern part of the capital, near the airport, later reported another loud explosion. The cause of those blasts was not immediately clear.
The Saudi-led coalition also said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 on Sunday, sparking a fire, and separately reported that air defences had intercepted a cruise missile near the airport. It did not immediately establish whether the interception was connected to the fire or the reported explosions.
The developments came after the Houthis renewed warnings to airlines, airport employees and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of those serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The group warned that the facilities could be targeted and said Riyadh would bear responsibility for any failed interceptions.
Saudi authorities suspended airport operations following Saturday’s attack, with the closure extended through Sunday. Several airlines had already cancelled or suspended services to Riyadh amid the escalating security threat.
Other incidents reported by the coalition included a projectile falling near King Fahd International Airport in the Eastern Province, the interception of a ballistic missile in Al-Kharj, southeast of Riyadh, and a drone attack targeting the Eastern Province.
The Saudi government also shifted schools to remote learning for the week, while the international WPC Energy Congress proceeded in Riyadh despite the disruption to air travel. The five-day event was expected to draw ministers, energy executives and representatives of international organisations.
Washington weighs military involvement
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis following the airport attack, which killed an American citizen.
Asked whether US forces might participate, Trump said: “We may. We’re going to look at it,” adding that his administration would make a decision quickly. He also said he intended to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack, saying it demonstrated “a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life.” The United Nations also condemned the strike, with Secretary-General António Guterres reiterating that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and must stop.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the United States was already providing intelligence support to Saudi Arabia in its confrontation with the Houthis. However, Washington had not announced a decision to participate directly in the current campaign. The Associated Press has also reported that US assistance includes intelligence-sharing, target identification and planning support for the latest offensive.
The escalation comes amid a broader regional conflict involving Iran and the United States. Washington previously conducted an air campaign against the Houthis in 2025, which ended with an agreement to halt attacks between the two sides but did not resolve the wider conflict between the group and Saudi Arabia.
Gregory Gause, a Saudi affairs specialist at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told The New York Times that an end to the US-Iran war could create an opening to halt Houthi attacks through a broader agreement that would include Tehran working to end the group’s operations against the kingdom.
Farea al-Muslimi, a researcher at the British think tank Chatham House, said the continuing attacks were increasing political and military pressure on Trump as the confrontation with the Houthis became more closely linked to the wider regional conflict.
Fighting in Yemen adds to regional risks
The latest attacks come as fighting intensifies in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has resumed a more active military role in support of the internationally recognised government’s efforts to regain territory from the Houthis.
The renewed escalation followed the collapse of a ceasefire that had brought relative calm since 2022. The Houthis have advanced along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including areas near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while Saudi-backed government forces have launched a counteroffensive to recover lost ground.
The conflict has also involved competing claims over attacks on airports and other infrastructure. In July, a strike on Sanaa International Airport prompted accusations from the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen’s internationally recognised government have since intensified operations against Houthi positions.
Yemeni military sources aligned with the government reported advances near Bab el-Mandeb in early October, while Houthi officials said the group retained control of Mayyun Island, located in the strait, and other positions along the western coast. The battlefield claims have not been independently verified.
The area is strategically important because Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and forms a major route for international shipping and energy exports. The latest fighting is raising concerns over maritime security at a time when disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has increased the importance of alternative shipping routes.
Airport disruption affects international events
The attack has also disrupted travel and raised concerns for international events scheduled in Riyadh.
Flight-tracking data showed extensive cancellations and diversions after the airport was closed. The disruption coincided with the opening of the 25th WPC Energy Congress, which is scheduled to run through Oct. 15 and bring together officials and executives from major energy companies, including BP and Shell.
Organisers said the event would continue despite the disruption to aviation operations. Saudi authorities had not announced a timeline for a full return to normal airport operations as of Sunday.
The post Saudi Arabia vows response after deadly attack on Riyadh airport as US weighs intervention appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.