Thirteen dead and more than 300 injured in an attack at the Riyadh airport, the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade

JerusalemAt least 13 people have died and more than 300 others have been injured in a missile attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Saturday's bombing is the third attack on the airport this week and the deadliest in the country since May 2015, when the war in Yemen had already entered a phase of intensified fighting between Saudi forces – which supported the internationally recognized Yemeni government – and Houthi rebels. Saudi authorities attribute the attack to the Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, and have described it as a "war crime". They have also announced that they will respond to the offensive.

According to the Saudi civil aviation authority, among the fatalities are four Saudi citizens, two from Bangladesh, and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. In total, 309 people have been injured, some of whom are in critical condition. The attack caused damage to airport facilities and forced the diversion of flights and the cancellation of connections with the kingdom, which is due to start receiving participants today for the WPC Energy Congress, an international meeting that brings together high-ranking officials and executives from the energy sector.

This Sunday afternoon, the Saudi-led coalition reported new attacks on the same Riyadh airport. According to its spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki, an "unknown projectile" hit terminal number four and caused a fire, and air defenses intercepted a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport. The rebels have warned airlines not to use the airports or the airspace of Saudi Arabia. In a statement released by the group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, they reiterated that these infrastructures are "potential targets" of their operations, with the exception of the areas of Mecca and Medina.

In parallel, the Al Masirah television channel, linked to the Houthis, reported a Saudi airstrike on the international airport of Sana'a, the capital of Yemen which is under the control of the rebels. For the moment, the Saudi coalition has not commented on this information.

US military intervention

The attack has once again placed the United States before the possibility of intervening directly in the conflict. The American president, Donald Trump, has left this option open and has assured that Washington will make a decision after evaluating the latest events. "It is possible. We will study it. We will make a decision. We are moving very fast," he told reporters when asked if the United States would join Saudi Arabia in the attacks against the Houthis. Until now, the United States has not participated directly in the attacks against the rebels, although they have maintained coordination with Riyadh, especially in intelligence matters. Trump also announced that he will speak with the country's de facto leader, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

The latest attack against the Saudi kingdom comes after weeks of intensifying bombings and a deterioration of relations between Riyadh and the rebels. Tensions had worsened in July, when the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa airport. The Yemeni government, an ally of the Saudis, assumed responsibility for that operation and justified it with the argument that it intended to prevent the landing of an Iranian plane without authorization.

In this context, the Houthis announced a "blockade for a blockade" policy and declared an embargo on Saudi ships in the Red Sea, in response to the restrictions that, as they have been denouncing for years, Saudi Arabia imposes on Yemeni airspace and which they consider a blockade of the country. The episode contributed to breaking the relative calm that had been established on the front since 2022, after years of fighting, although without a formal peace agreement. Since then, air restrictions, military operations, and disputes over the control of maritime routes have been deteriorating the situation.

Last month, the group carried out a lightning offensive along the Yemeni coast of the Red Sea that allowed them to expand control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the strategic maritime passages for world trade. This strait is especially important for the transport of Saudi oil, especially since traffic through Hormuz has been seriously disrupted following the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28.

The previous weekend, the conflict intensified with the announcement of a new military offensive by the Yemeni government to recover the territories controlled by the Houthis. In parallel, Saudi Arabia resumed bombings against the rebels to support the ground offensive of the government forces, in a new phase of the war that threatens to extend the clashes.