Trump Open to US Support for Saudi Arabia After Houthi Airport Attack
The U.S. President indicated a potential military response following a Houthi missile strike on Riyadh airport that injured dozens and disrupted flights.
A Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport on Saturday injured dozens and led to the temporary suspension of flights, prompting President Donald Trump to state that the U.S. “may” offer military support to Saudi Arabia in response. The strike marked the third attack on Saudi aviation facilities this week.
Witnesses described scenes of panic at the airport as residents heard at least two loud explosions, with plumes of black smoke visible. Emergency services responded rapidly, with ambulances seen rushing through the city. Several individuals were observed with injuries on the airport floor, and a source at King Fahad hospital reported that five people were in intensive care, with dozens more wounded. An Iraqi pro-militia outlet provided a higher estimate of 45 injured.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the attack, noting "a number of injuries" and the temporary halting of air traffic. The authority stated in a message on X that "this attack comes amid the ongoing blatant attacks targeting civil aviation facilities in the kingdom."
Major airlines, including Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, rerouted or canceled flights to the Saudi capital. Flight tracking sites indicated that nearly 300 flights were canceled on Saturday alone.
The Iranian-backed Houthis, a group based in Yemen, have been engaged in renewed conflict with Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's government. This escalation has opened a new front in the ongoing war and comes as Yemeni government forces claim to have retaken territory along the Red Sea coast, including the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a claim disputed by the Houthis.
In response to the Riyadh airport attack, President Trump told reporters that the U.S. was "going to look at it" and that decisions would be made "very quickly." This statement suggests a potential shift in U.S. policy regarding direct support for Saudi Arabia in its conflict with the Houthi rebels.
Previous Houthi attacks this week on the airport resulted in the deaths of four people, including a Saudi pilot. The Houthis' intensified targeting of Saudi infrastructure highlights a significant escalation in the regional conflict, with potential implications for oil markets and regional stability.