Iran-Krieg: Bisher schwerster Angriff auf Flughafen Riad - zwölf Tote

In the most severe attack on Saudi Arabia's Riyadh international airport, at least twelve people were killed and over three hundred others injured, marking the highest casualty count in an assault on the allied Gulf state since the Iran war began in late February. The Houthi militia in Yemen was blamed for the attack, which threatened the country with further aggression.

Videos circulated on social media, supposedly showing post-attack scenes, including a destroyed terminal hall and civilians rushing through dense smoke to escape the flames. However, the authenticity of these videos could not be verified. Upon entering one terminal, passengers witnessed dark smoke clouds emerging from an explosion.

The attack on one of the passenger terminals was described by Riyadh-led military alliance as a "real war crime," with an alliance spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, vowing a "decisive response" to the terrorist attack. The Houthi militia initially refrained from directly blaming Riyadh, stating the incident as a "dangerous escalation."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed "deep shock," warning that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violated international law. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen labeled the situation as a "dangerous escalation" and warned that Iran's proxies were driving the region into a spiral of violence. The King Chalid Airport, one of the largest in the Gulf region, largely serves as Riyadh's political and economic hub.

Flights were initially suspended until midnight (local time, 11 PM GMT) following the attack. The US embassy in the country advised citizens to avoid the airport and nearby areas. The Houthi, who control large swathes of northern Yemen, threatened further attacks. Riyadh's military spokesperson, Jahja Sari, stated that Saudi airports and airspace were "legitimate targets," except for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Authorities advised people to take these warnings seriously. The conflict has been ongoing since more than a decade, with Saudi Arabia fighting alongside allies against Shiite rebels supported by Iran. This civil war, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, has reignited in the context of the Iran war. Both the US, a key ally of Saudi Arabia, and the US could potentially launch new military strikes in Yemen, as announced by US President Donald Trump.

Trump emphasized that these steps were under review and would be taken swiftly. Since July, Trump had reportedly opposed new air strikes in Yemen, despite Saudi Arabia's requests. US media reports suggested that Trump initially declined new air strikes in Yemen despite Saudi Arabia's pleas. The US has stationed troops in the kingdom and is the primary weapons supplier.

The Houthi attacks could escalate the war "even further," wrote US political scientist Vali Nasr from Johns Hopkins University. Gulf expert Aziz Alghashian from the Denkfabrik Gulf International Forum wrote that this terrorist attack would change the "appetite" for war. Pakistan condemned the Riad attack, vowing to never tolerate aggression and pledging support for Saudi Arabia if necessary.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed a defense pact in August, including a mutual defense clause similar to the NATO treaty, where an attack on one party is considered an attack on all. Pakistan has refrained from providing military aid so far. The Houthi militia has recently intensified its attacks on Saudi Arabia, including missile strikes on Riyadh's airport and other facilities.

On Sunday, another rocket hit eastern Saudi Arabia. Huthi claimed over 90 deaths since September in the Yemeni civil war, with over 160 more injured. The Saudi-backed government launched a large-scale counteroffensive, and the blockade of the Hormuz Strait, backed by Iran, also saw further aggression. A tanker was hit by an "unknown shell," causing a fire but no injuries to the crew.

Meanwhile, the US military reportedly attacked a civilian freighter for attempting to breach the naval blockade against Iran.