Missile attack on Riyadh airport kills 12 and injures over 300
A deadly Saturday strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh prompted officials to extend terminal closures on Sunday. The incident escalated the regional conflict as governments reviewed their military options. More than 300 individuals were injured in the strike.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis for the strike. The coalition called it a “fully-fledged war crime” and pledged a firm response.
The facility holds no military resources, the coalition said. Operations were halted on Saturday.
Flightradar 24 reported that authorities extended the shutdown until at least 9 p.m. Sunday. A regional official said the strike hit a complex housing domestic terminals 3 and 4.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they lacked media clearance. A government release said victims receive care across several hospitals.
The casualties included a broad range of nationalities:
- Four Saudi citizens
- Two Bangladeshi nationals
- One Palestinian
- One U.S. citizen
- One Egyptian
- One Jordanian
- One Syrian
- One Sudanese
Egyptian state-run Al-Qahera News television identified the deceased Egyptian man as Azza Ramzy, 28. The outlet reported Ramzy worked as a flight attendant for Flynas.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the event in a social media message. Rubio confirmed the death of an American citizen.
U.S. President Donald Trump evaluated joining allied military action.
“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.”
Trump said he planned talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Asked if the U.S. might get involved, Trump answered, “We’ll find out.”
The rebels issued no immediate comment on Saturday’s strike. Earlier Saturday, they accused the kingdom of hitting Sanaa International Airport.
Houthis had claimed strikes earlier in the week on King Khalid International Airport. Those earlier hits killed three Saudis, including an aviator.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry in Yemen gave casualty figures Sunday. It said coalition strikes killed 91 Yemenis and injured 168 in five weeks.
The ministry reported women and children formed 60% of those dead. The conflict resumed after a 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July.
The rebels recently warned foreign carriers against flying inside Saudi airspace. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group, and Pakistan International Airlines halted flights to Riyadh earlier.
Civil aviation authorities routinely halt operations after security breaches at transportation hubs. Emergency protocols divert international air traffic to alternative runways. Ground teams secure damaged infrastructure before normal services resume.
Saudi Arabia previously sought defensive air support from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt.
