Riyadh Airport Missile Strike Kills 12 as Trump Considers Joining Saudi Fight
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A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed at least 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities, as reported by NBC News. NBC called it the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab state since the Iran war began, and President Donald Trump said the U.S. may now join Saudi military operations against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Airport operations in the Saudi capital remained suspended Sunday. Several countries have told their citizens to avoid the facility, and a growing number of airlines have halted flights to Saudi Arabia.
What happened at the Riyadh airport
The Associated Press, in a report carried by NPR, said the Saturday missile hit a complex housing terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights. An unnamed regional official told the AP that many people were wounded. Saudi authorities said some of the injured were in critical condition.
The dead included one American, four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Palestinian, a Syrian and a Sudanese citizen, NBC reported. It was the latest of several attacks on the airport in a week. An attack on Thursday killed three Saudis, including a pilot, and the Houthis claimed that one.
The Houthis did not immediately claim Saturday's strike, NBC reported, though they renewed a warning to stay away from Saudi airports. Saudi Arabia and its allies blamed the group, and NBC said Washington did as well. Earlier Saturday, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital, according to the AP.
Why Washington is being drawn in
Asked about intervening, Trump told reporters, "We may. We're going to look at it." He said the U.S. had just learned of the attack and would decide quickly.
The fighting has intensified since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive against the Houthis about a week ago, the AP reported. NBC said a truce collapsed in July. The Houthis have also made gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, which the AP said gives them a better view of shipping on a route that serves as a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.
Officials have said U.S. help so far has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the offensive, according to the AP. Regional officials told the AP last month that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support. One of those officials noted that U.S. stocks have also dwindled during the war with Iran.
NBC reported that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman urged Trump in September to take military action against the Houthis, citing a person familiar with the matter. NBC also noted that Trump has so far resisted deeper involvement in the Middle East and has focused on energy prices ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. ran a three-month bombing campaign against the Houthis last year over their attacks on shipping.
Condemnation and doubts about a military fix
Egypt and Qatar condemned the strike, as did Germany and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the attacks abhorrent. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres blamed the Houthis and said the attack violated international law, NBC reported. The Saudi-led coalition called it a war crime and promised a strong response.
Fawaz Gerges, a professor at the London School of Economics, told NBC he doubted there was a military solution to the Yemen conflict. He said the U.S. had tried for months to make the Houthis back down without success, and that the group's targeting has become more effective. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a retired political science professor from the United Arab Emirates, argued that intelligence sharing and stronger air defenses would let Saudi Arabia defend itself without a full U.S. assault.
Why it matters for travelers and energy markets
For travelers, the Riyadh disruption is already substantial. FlightAware counted at least 291 canceled flights at the airport over 24 hours, the AP reported. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among carriers that suspended Saudi service for varying periods before Saturday's strike. The U.S., Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned their citizens to avoid the airport. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said missile and drone activity raises the risk that civilian aircraft are misidentified.
For energy markets, Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter, and the AP said the attacks have rattled markets. NBC said disruption near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatens trade and energy shipments, which can raise fuel prices.
What happens next
Trump has not said when he will decide. Saudi authorities were still assessing the damage and injuries at the airport, and Saudi aviation authorities had suspended operations. The Saudi energy ministry was still promoting an international energy conference due to open in Riyadh on Sunday, the AP reported. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister also spoke with his Omani counterpart about diplomatic ways to ease tensions.
