Saudi airport carnage pressures Trump to boost U.S. role in Yemen

Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, in a screengrab obtained from a video posted on social media. | REUTERS

Bloomberg

Oct 13, 2026

A barrage of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia has intensified pressure on Washington to step up efforts to help its close ally battle Iran-backed Houthi militants in neighboring Yemen.

The devastating Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s main airport over the weekend killed at least 16 people, including a U.S. citizen, and wounded roughly 300 in the deadliest attack on the kingdom in decades.

The U.S. is already assisting Riyadh with intelligence, targeting and aerial refueling but has so far resisted direct involvement. The violence is now prompting the White House to reconsider how deeply to enmesh U.S. forces, with President Donald Trump saying over the weekend that he would look into joining Saudi-backed strikes against the Houthis.

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