Riyadh airport attack wounds several, halts flights as Trump weighs U.S. role

At least twelve individuals lost their lives and hundreds more sustained injuries in an assault on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The King Khalid International Airport became the target of the attack, as part of a series of ongoing assaults on civilian aviation facilities within the kingdom, as reported by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation.

In the aftermath of the incident, the authority disclosed a grim tally, confirming that twelve individuals had perished, comprising four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, and one Sudanese national. A minimum of three hundred and nine others were injured, all of whom are currently receiving essential medical attention at various hospitals.

The airport's operations were subsequently halted until further notice. The Saudi-led coalition engaged in the fight against the Houthis in Yemen also reported a projectile striking near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an eastern city. A Saudi official, who spoke under anonymity, revealed that numerous people sustained wounds following a missile impact on a passenger terminal.

Multiple Western embassies in Riyadh, encompassing those of Germany, the United States, Canada, and Spain, advised citizens to steer clear of the airport. The US embassy confirmed awareness of the attacks. Spain's embassy highlighted a "new attack" by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, while Canada's embassy cautioned about ongoing military activity.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen initially failed to claim responsibility for the attack. However, after the incident, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree retweeted his earlier post, reiterating that only approved humanitarian flights would be permitted to land at Riyadh airport. In his retweet, Saree stated: "A reminder." When questioned about the attack, US President Donald Trump indicated that the US would eventually decide whether to participate in Saudi strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

"We may," Trump told reporters at the White House. "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." Fighting has escalated between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting Saudi Arabia, including multiple strikes on the Riyadh airport that resulted in deaths, injuries, and aircraft damage.

Several airlines, such as Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Kuwait Airways, canceled numerous flights between their bases and Riyadh, with some cancellations persisting into Monday. Last month, Houthi rebels gained ground on strategic locations along Yemen's Red Sea coast, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to provide air support to Yemeni government forces attempting to reclaim those areas.

The Saudi-backed government unveiled a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all territories held by the Houthis, particularly those near the Bab al-Mandab strait.