RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday extended the closure of its main international airport as Houthi rebels threatened airstrikes across the kingdom, a day after a missile attack killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Saturday’s strike on the Riyadh airport marked a major escalation of the war between Yemen’s Iran’s-backed Houthis and the kingdom. President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the rebels, a scenario that could prompt the Houthis to halt shipping through a crucial waterway and further restrict the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf.
As international leaders spoke out condemning the attack Sunday, the Houthis reported that two airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities or reports of casualties.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry says 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in five weeks. It said that 60 per cent of those killed were women and children.
As Saudi authorities extended Saturday’s airport closure until at least 9 pm Sunday, according to Flightradar24, the Houthis said the kingdom’s airports were attack targets.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesman, urged “everyone to take our warnings seriously.” The latest attack on the Saudi airport drew condemnations from Arab countries, including Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” Von der Leyen wrote Sunday on X. “They are destabilising crucial global transport and energy nodes.” The attack struck an airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, a regional official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to speak to the media.
The Saudi statement said the dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It said several hospitals were treating the injured. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged in a social media post that an American citizen had been killed in the attack, which he condemned.
The Egyptian woman was a flight attendant identified as Azza Ramzy, 28, who worked for the Saudi airline Flybas, according to the Egyptian state-run Al-Qahera New television. The attack is expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies, including the United States, to provide military support for the kingdom.
Shortly after the attack, Trump said he was evaluating whether the US should join Saudi strikes against the rebels. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” he said. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.” Trump said later Saturday he planned to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Asked if the US might get involved, Trump responded, “We’ll find out.”
The Houthis claimed attacks earlier in the week on King Khalid International Airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot. The airport has 0no military facilities. The surge in attacks, including against other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis.
