Trump Considering Joining Saudi Strikes After Deadly Airport Bombing
President Trump indicated the U.S. may participate in Saudi Arabia's response to a Houthi attack that killed at least 12 people, including one American.
President Donald Trump stated that he is considering joining Saudi Arabia in military strikes following a deadly bombing at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed at least a dozen people, including one American citizen.
Saudi Arabian authorities have attributed the Saturday attack to Houthi terrorists, though the Iran-backed group had not immediately claimed responsibility, instead warning people to avoid Saudi airports. The attack left over 300 people injured.
When asked by reporters outside the White House if the U.S. would join the retaliatory action, Trump responded, "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."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the incident on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorists Houthis, including today's strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that took numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen." He added, "These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now. We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families."
The Riyadh airport bombing marks the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab nation since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran in February. If the U.S. were to join the strikes, it could escalate the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Following the bombing, the U.S., Britain, Germany, Australia, and Canada issued advisories warning their citizens to avoid the airport. Local aviation authorities have suspended all airport operations to assess damage and injuries. Three planes were reportedly damaged in the attack.
The victims included one American, four Saudi Arabian citizens, two from Bangladesh, one from Jordan, one Palestinian, one Syrian, one from Sudan, and one Egyptian.
The Houthis had previously claimed responsibility for a series of strikes targeting the airport on Thursday, which resulted in three deaths and damaged a passenger jet. However, they did not immediately claim responsibility for Saturday's attack.
Saturday's bombing was the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since May 2015, when an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 21 worshippers in a mosque. The civil war in Yemen intensified in July after a four-year UN-brokered truce collapsed, drawing Saudi Arabia deeper into the conflict as it leads an international coalition supporting Yemen's government. A March 2022 ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis had previously unraveled, leading to an intense advance by the Houthi group.