Twelve people were killed and 309 injured in a rocket attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi authorities confirmed. Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi movement, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Among the dead were four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, and Palestine. Egyptian state media reported that the victims included 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy. The Syrian embassy in Riyadh identified the deceased Syrian as Boutaina Ahmad Oweida. Her niece told the AP that Boutaina was a widow and mother of four, and had been living in Saudi Arabia for the past five years following an escape from war in Syria. She was in Riyadh visiting her sister when the projectile struck her on her way to the airport.
The attack was the third on Riyadh in just a few days. Flights were suspended and diverted, but authorities did not officially announce the closure of King Khalid International Airport; the suspension of flights became apparent only through flight tracking services. Authorities stated that classes at schools and universities would be moved online until the end of the week, while educational institutions were closed. No general alarm was declared, nor was there an address to the nation. Information flow regarding the attacks was tightly controlled, while the Houthis promised further strikes on the kingdom.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a warning to US government employees that special permission was required to use King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as the airports in Jeddah and Dammam. The security warning was expanded from the previous day's, which had applied only to the Riyadh airport. The embassy strongly advised all US citizens to avoid the airport in Riyadh and its surrounding areas, stating: "Be extremely cautious when using any major airports in Saudi Arabia."
Saudi Arabia responded with a rocket attack on the capital of Yemen. State media controlled by the Houthis reported that Saudi Arabia had carried out an air strike on the main airport in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen held by the rebels. Al-Masirah TV reported that the missiles had hit Sana'a International Airport. Saudi authorities and the Yemeni government forces supported by Riyadh had not yet officially commented on this strike. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia stated that it would respond decisively to the Houthi attack on the airport in Riyadh.
Air strikes on the positions of the Houthi rebels had resumed in the outskirts of the southern Yemeni city of Ta'izz, Al Arabiya reported, citing local sources. The militias, backed by Iran, were targeted. The new wave of strikes followed the escalation and the Saturday attack on the airport in Riyadh, with details on the extent of the damage and the targets still unknown.
Another explosion was heard in Riyadh. Reporters at the scene reported that a loud explosion was heard in the central part of the Saudi capital, with the cause of the explosion currently unknown. Meanwhile, a supertanker carrying crude oil exploded and caught fire after hitting a mine while attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz. The UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the vessel was heading towards the exit of the strait when it was hit on the port side.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman commented on the attack on the King Khalid Airport in a post on X. "We strongly condemn the attack by the Houfis on the airport in Riyadh," Grlić Radman said, adding that "the safety of civilians and civil aviation must be respected and protected at all times." He expressed his "sincere condolences to the families of the victims" and solidarity with Saudi Arabia and his colleague, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. The statement condemning the Houthi attack on the King Khalid Airport was also issued by Marco Rubio, while Trump stated: "We are considering strikes on the Houthis." The United States is considering military intervention in Yemen.
