Trump Considers Joining Saudi Strikes After Deadly Riyadh Airport Bombing

Donald Trump said the United States is considering joining Saudi Arabia in retaliatory strikes after Houthi terrorists killed at least 12 people, including one American citizen, in a bombing at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia attributed the attack to the Houthis, an Iran-backed group. The group did not immediately claim responsibility but warned individuals to avoid Saudi airports.

When asked by reporters if the U.S. would participate in strikes, 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."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the incident, stating on X, "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 attack on Saturday resulted in at least a dozen fatalities and injured over 300 people, according to Saudi Arabian authorities. This marks the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab nation since the conflict between the U.S. and Iran began in February. The potential involvement of the U.S. could escalate the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

Following the bombing, the U.S., Britain, Germany, Australia, and Canada issued advisories warning their citizens to avoid Riyadh's main airport. Local aviation authorities suspended all airport operations to assess damage and injuries.

Saudi Arabia has previously sought air defense support from countries including France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt, as its missile interceptor stockpiles were reportedly diminishing. Officials indicated in September that the U.S. also experienced a reduction in its missile stockpiles during the conflict with Iran.

Thus far, U.S. assistance to Saudi Arabia has included intelligence sharing, offensive planning against the Houthis, and target identification, according to reports. The attack damaged three aircraft at the airport, with one plane sustaining damage while on the ground and without passengers aboard, according to Saudia Group.

In addition to the American citizen, the victims included four individuals from Saudi Arabia, two from Bangladesh, one each from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.

Witnesses described hearing strikes in the domestic terminal, with one person stating, "I was on gate 403. I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running." The incident prompted health officials to issue a mass call-up of doctors to manage the "serious emergency situation."

The Houthis had previously claimed responsibility for a series of strikes on Thursday that killed three people and damaged a passenger jet, though they did not immediately claim the Saturday attacks.

Saturday's bombing was the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since May 2015, when an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 21 worshippers. The civil war in Yemen, which had seen a UN-brokered truce collapse in July, has intensified, drawing Saudi Arabia further into the conflict. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis that began in March 2022 had unraveled months prior, leading to an offensive by the Houthi group as the Saudi-led coalition attempted to regain territory.