FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump says he is considering whether Washington should join the Saudi offensive against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. At least 225 flights were canceled at Riyadh airport in 24 hours, while several international airlines suspended services to Saudi airports. | Photo Credit: STRINGER
The airport in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated, two regional officials said, just a few days after three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed as the kingdom faced an extraordinary series of assaults on the new front in the Iran war.
President Donald Trump told reporters he was evaluating whether the U.S. should participate in a Saudi offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen who claimed this week’s attack on King Khalid International Airport as well as Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure.
“We might. We’ll see,” Trump said. “We only know about the new attack. So we will make a decision. We are very fast.”
In the latest attack, a missile struck the complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights at Riyadh airport and injured many people, a regional official said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. An ambulance was seen hurrying there.
Airport operations suspended, flights diverted
The surge in attacks has come in the week since the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis. There was no direct Houthi statement on Saturday.
Saudi civil aviation authorities said operations at the airport had been suspended and the number of injuries and damage was being assessed. The airport had a heavy police presence, all entrances were blocked, and the lights around the complex were dimmed.
The flight was diverted elsewhere, said tracker Flightradar24. Countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Canada have warned citizens not to enter airports.
Attacks on airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, have rattled markets and the region.
Yemen fighting escalates amid shipping concerns
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support to government forces in an effort to reverse Houthi gains along the Red Sea.
The rebels’ gains give them better control over shipping in a corridor that is an important alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has attacked ships.
Although the Houthis have told the AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for the one they carried out, concerns about a wider attack remain.
The Houthis have previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, citing solidarity with the Palestinians. US bombing campaign ends.
Saudi Arabia requested air defense support
Saudi Arabia lacks missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defense support for the region, regional officials told AP last month, with one noting that the US has seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran.
Officials said US assistance included intelligence sharing, target identification and plans for the latest attacks.
Saudi and Omani foreign ministers spoke by phone about the importance of “supporting a diplomatic solution to reduce tensions” in the region, the kingdom said Saturday.
Oman, located across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has been a mediator in the region.
Houthis warn airlines as cancellations rise
Meanwhile, the Saudi authorities warned the public this week that “filming, publishing or sharing information related to missiles and drones and impact sites makes you legally liable”.
This week, the Houthis warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operations in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for military operations.
At least 225 flights at Riyadh airport have been canceled in the past 24 hours, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines are among the airlines that have suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports over the next few days.
The European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to attack targets deeper in the kingdom, including Riyadh, and “a greater focus on aviation infrastructure.”
Missile and drone strikes and interception attempts “raise the risk of misidentification of civilian aircraft,” he said.
In Thursday’s attack, the Saudi national carrier said one of the planes was damaged while on the ground, with no passengers on board.
Published on October 10, 2026