Saudi Airport Hit by Houthi Attack... One American Killed, Trump Hints at Intervention
An unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Monday (local time), sparking a fire, while Saudi air defenses intercepted a cruise missile over the area. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said multiple people were injured, and loud explosions were heard across the Saudi capital. The airport had come under missile attack the previous day as well, killing civilians of multiple nationalities, including an American, and wounding more than 300. It marked at least the third attack targeting the airport in the past week.
Saudi authorities suspended airport operations, and schools in the Riyadh region switched to remote classes.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed further attacks. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, said the group carried out four operations over the past 24 hours using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. He claimed the group targeted the Aramco gas and oil refinery facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in addition to King Khalid Airport. Saree warned commercial airlines, airport workers, and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace except for the airports in Mecca and Medina.
When asked Monday whether the United States might join Saudi Arabia's fight against the Houthis, President Donald Trump replied, "Maybe. We'll take a look at it." He added, "We'll make a decision. We move very quickly." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "We strongly condemn the recent Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, including the attack on King Khalid Airport, which claimed numerous innocent lives, including that of one U.S. citizen." He added, "We stand with Saudi Arabia."
It remains undecided whether the United States, which has so far kept its distance from direct military action, will intervene. However, with an American death and two consecutive days of damage to the capital's key airport, the Trump administration's response to the Houthi offensive is drawing close attention amid the variables of escalation and oil price pressure.
