Riyadh airport closure extended after 12 killed in suspected Houthi attack

Share current article via FacebookShare current article via PinterestShare current article via TwitterShare current article via LinkedInlead-art-block.fullscreen-enterExpandThick black smoke and flames rise from a fire at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia By Samy Magdy and Cara Anna, Associated PressOctober 11, 2026 at 1:50pm BSTSaudi Arabia has kept its main international airport closed and moved Riyadh schools online as Yemen’s Houthi rebels threatened new air strikes across the kingdom, a day after a missile attack killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh marked a major escalation in the war between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and the kingdom, and further complicated sputtering efforts to halt the US-Iran war.

US President Donald Trump said he is considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the rebels, a scenario that could prompt the Houthis to halt shipping through a crucial waterway and further restrict the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf.

While the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack, they have acknowledged targeting Saudi airports and oil installations in the past.

Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesman, warned “all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theatre of operations for our forces”. He wrote on X that airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina were exempt.

Meanwhile, the Houthis reported on Sunday that two air strikes hit Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities or reports of casualties.

The Houthi-run Health Ministry says 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in five weeks. It said 60% of those killed were women and children.

Saturday’s attack in Riyadh struck an airport complex housing terminals three and four for domestic flights, a regional official said.

Those killed were four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The injured are being treated at several hospitals.

The attack is expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies including the United States to provide military support for the kingdom.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Trump said he was evaluating whether America should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

“We may,” he said. “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.”

Later, he said he planned to speak to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Asked if the US might get involved, Mr Trump responded: “We’ll find out.”

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis blamed them for the attack, calling it a “fully-fledged war crime” and vowing a firm response. The airport has no military facilities.

The Houthis claimed attacks earlier in the week on King Khalid International Airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot.

The surge in attacks, including against other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis.

The attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, have rattled markets and the region.

Until recently, the Houthis had been largely on the sidelines of the Iran war. Now the rebels are a way for Tehran to apply pressure on a key US ally.

The Saudis and the Houthis began fighting in 2015 when the kingdom entered Yemen’s civil war on behalf of the internationally recognised government.

Relative calm after a 2022 ceasefire ended in July when the Houthis resumed attacks, saying the Saudis fired on Sanaa airport as a plane from Iran was trying to land. That revived anger over the Saudi-led blockade that has largely isolated Houthi-run areas.