Naher Osten: Zwölf Tote bei Angriff: Huthis attackieren Flughafen der saudischen Hauptstadt Riad

A series of explosions at Riyadh's international airport on Saturday night resulted in at least twelve deaths and over three hundred injuries, according to Saudi authorities. The attack was attributed to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who claimed to have "disabled" the airport. The incident marked the third and most devastating assault on the airport this week.

Victims included four Saudis, as well as nationals from the USA, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Egypt, and Bangladesh, detailed the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority. The airport was briefly closed and flights rerouted. Houthi spokesperson announced the group had "quieted" the international airport of Riyadh. Saudi-led military coalition announced retaliation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia harshly on Saturday, stating in a X post that the United States strongly condemned the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump said the US would consider involvement in Saudi-led attacks on the Houthi, stating, "We will see."

A witness at the airport reported an explosion and several injured lying on the ground. A Reuters news agency quoted an injured traveler who saw a flying object before a section of the roof near an aircraft gate collapsed. The US Embassy in Riyadh urged all US citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding area. The attack escalated tensions in a conflict that had flared up again in the summer.

A 2022 ceasefire agreement had collapsed, leading the Houthi to seize the strategically important Bab al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea from Saudi-led government forces. In response, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an offensive this week to retake the area. Saudi Arabia had intervened in Yemen in 2015 to oust the Houthi from the capital Sanaa. More: Follow the current development in the Middle East in our liveblog.