Saudi Arabia Extends Airport Closure After Deadly Houthi Attack
Rebels threaten further strikes as Riyadh confirms 12 dead, including U.S. citizen, and over 300 injured.
Saudi Arabia extended the closure of its main international airport on Sunday, a day after a missile attack attributed to Houthi rebels killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. The attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport marked a significant escalation in the conflict.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Houthi group, urged "everyone to take our warnings seriously" and reiterated threats of further airstrikes across the kingdom. The rebels also claimed responsibility for two airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia, though Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.
The Saudi statement confirmed the casualties included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The Egyptian victim was identified as Azza Ramzy, a 28-year-old flight attendant for the Saudi airline Flynas.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack, acknowledging the death of an American citizen. President Donald Trump stated that he was considering whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the rebels and planned to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"We may. We’re going to look at it," Trump said on Saturday. "We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly."
International leaders, including U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the attack. Von der Leyen noted on X that "Attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence" and are "destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes."
The Houthis, who have been fighting the Saudi-led coalition since 2015, claimed responsibility for earlier attacks on the Riyadh airport this week that resulted in the deaths of three Saudis. The recent surge in attacks coincides with a major military offensive launched by the Saudi-led coalition against the rebels.
The conflict between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia has implications for global oil flow. The Houthis' control of the Bab el-Mandeb waterway, a crucial shipping corridor, and their threats of attacks could further disrupt oil exports from the Persian Gulf. This comes as Saudi Arabia has reportedly been running low on missile interceptors and has sought air defense support from several countries.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in the past five weeks, with women and children constituting a significant portion of the casualties.