Riyadh airport attack: At least 12 killed, over 300 injured, Trump says strikes ‘not acceptable’ | Top Updates

Hours after the Iran-backed Houthis launched their third attack of the week against Saudi Arabia, killing 12 people and leaving more than 300 wounded, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) condemned the attack, saying it was "not acceptable."

He made these remarks while addressing reporters and said he "will be speaking" with the kingdom's leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, following the attack blamed on Yemen's Houthis. He added, "What happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable."

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

At least 12 people were killed and 309 injured, according to the reported latest count. The victims included people of several nationalities.

The Saudi-led coalition blamed pro-Iranian Houthi fighters in Yemen. A related report said there was no immediate Houthi claim of responsibility for the latest incident.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority temporarily suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport after the attack. Flights bound for Riyadh were diverted or cancelled.

President Donald Trump said the United States might join the strikes and that Washington would consider the decision. No immediate announcement of additional US military support was reported.

US, Canadian, German and other diplomatic missions urged their citizens to avoid the airport or warned against travelling there. Passengers were advised to check their flight status with their airline.

The attack on Riyadh comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, including the war between the US and Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon aimed at disarming the Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Here are the top updates from the Riyadh airport attack:

1. When asked whether Washington planned to support Saudi Arabia by joining strikes against the Houthis, Trump said, "We may. 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." Additionally, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks against Riyadh and said they “demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life.”

2. On Saturday (local time), the Houthis launched their third attack of the week on Riyadh's international airport, leaving at least 12 people dead. The attack came as the Iran-backed group escalated the campaign it launched earlier this year against the kingdom. Among those killed were four Saudis, two people from Bangladesh, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt, the Saudi civil aviation authority said. According to the latest count, 309 people were injured, Reuters reported.

3. The attack on Riyadh airport is being called the deadliest in the kingdom in over a decade. It occurred without warning, and the country's threat warning system issued no alert. The two previous attacks this week on King Khalid International Airport killed four people and caused severe damage to one of the kingdom's commercial planes parked on the tarmac.

4. All flights bound for Riyadh were diverted or cancelled on Saturday, according to Flightradar24, which at one point showed only a helicopter hovering above the airport. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said operations at the airport, which serves a city of around eight million people, had been temporarily suspended.

5. The Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government blamed pro-Iranian Houthi fighters in Yemen for carrying out the deadly attack at Riyadh airport, adding that the kingdom would respond "decisively," AFP reported. In a statement, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki called the attack a "war crime" and pledged that the coalition "will respond decisively to this terrorist attack".

6. The Saudi-led international coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it intercepted a missile on Sunday southeast of Riyadh, in the area where Prince Sultan Airbase is situated. A statement issued hours after the attack on Riyadh airport said, "Interception and destruction of a ballistic missile in Al-Kharj, launched by the Houthi terrorist militia."

7. Following the attack, the head of the Houthi media office wrote on X that the group had "shut down Riyadh international airport". The Houthis also warned airlines against entering Saudi airspace, designating it a military operations zone after Yemen’s Saudi-backed government began an offensive against them on Monday.

(with agency inputs)

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.