A third consecutive assault this week targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and roughly 300 injuries, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi faction claimed credit for the operation, signaling a sharp escalation in their cross-border offensive. The casualties span multiple nationalities: four Saudis and two citizens of Bangladesh lost their lives, along with one national each from the United States, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan.
Local alert and defense networks reportedly failed to issue an early warning prior to the blast. This follows two previous strikes on the same facility earlier in the week, which had already claimed four lives and severely damaged an airliner on the apron. The sudden influx of critically injured patients overwhelmed regional medical centers, prompting emergency arrivals via ground and air transport. Authorities halted operations at the hub and rerouted inbound air traffic away from the capital.
In Washington, President Donald Trump indicated that the United States is evaluating potential participation in counter-strikes alongside Saudi forces, stating that a decision would be reached swiftly. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern condemnation of the aggression, while the Saudi-led military coalition characterized the incident as an act of terror and pledged a decisive military response
