"Terrible thing": Trump on Riyadh airport attack, says US may join Saudi strikes against Yemen’s Houthis

US President Donald Trump stated the US is considering joining Saudi strikes against Houthi rebels after a deadly Riyadh airport attack killed 12 people. The incident has intensified pressure on allies for military support as regional hostilities expand.

US President Donald Trump stated that Washington was evaluating whether to join Saudi Arabia’s strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels following a lethal assault on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that resulted in 12 deaths and over 300 injuries, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. When asked if a decision had been made to participate in the Saudi strikes, Trump stated, “We may. We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack. We will make a decision. We move very quickly.” He further added, “Look, the Saudis are good fighters. But I think the attack was a terrible thing.”

The Saturday strike marked the deadliest incident in a Gulf country since the onset of the Iran conflict, as hostilities widened to encompass renewed battles between Iran-aligned Houthi insurgents and Saudi-supported government forces in Yemen. In response to the escalation, the US Mission in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert on Sunday, directing American nationals to steer clear of King Khalid International Airport and adjacent zones following the October 10 strikes. The mission also cautioned travellers to exercise extreme vigilance at major Saudi airports, warning of potential flight cancellations, airspace restrictions and travel disruptions, while advising passengers to verify flight statuses directly with operators.

Furthermore, the mission announced that US government personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia need special authorisation to use King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, alongside facilities in Jeddah and Dammam. These developments are anticipated to heighten pressure on Riyadh's international partners, including the United States, to extend military backing as the Kingdom intensifies operations against the Houthis. Saudi civil aviation officials confirmed that the fatalities comprised four Saudi nationals alongside individuals from Bangladesh, Palestine, the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan, while the injured were receiving treatment across multiple hospitals, with several in critical condition.

A regional official, speaking anonymously due to a lack of authorisation to brief the media, stated that a missile had struck a complex housing terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights. The strike follows a string of recent attacks directed at King Khalid International Airport over the past week. The Houthis previously claimed responsibility for assaults on the facility that left three Saudis dead, including a pilot.

This surge in violence has also targeted other Saudi airfields, military installations and petroleum infrastructure, following a major military offensive initiated against the Houthis by a Saudi-led coalition the previous week. (ANI)