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CAIRO (AP) — Saudi authorities say an attack on Riyadh airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others.
The statement said the dead included four Saudi nationals as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese.
It said some of those injured were in critical condition.
The international airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh came under attack again on Saturday as the kingdom faced an extraordinary series of attacks in a new front in Iran’s war. President Donald Trump says he is evaluating whether the US should join the Saudi offensive against Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.
The Houthi group claimed an attack earlier this week on King Khalid International Airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot. On Saturday, a missile hit the complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights and many people were injured, said a regional official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
“It’s possible. We will consider it,” Trump said of intervention. “We only found out about the attack recently. So we will make a decision. We are moving very quickly.”
The increase in attacks, including on other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, comes a week since the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis. There was no immediate statement from the rebels, who earlier Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of attacking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital.
Riyadh airport operations have been suspended
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Saudi civil aviation authorities said airport operations were suspended and the extent of injuries and damage was being assessed. An official notice to airmen said the suspension was in place until midnight. The airport has a large police presence, all entrances are blocked, and the lights around the complex are dimmed.
The flight was diverted elsewhere, tracker Flightradar24 said. Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned their citizens to avoid airports.
The attack on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has rocked markets and the region. But the Saudi Energy Ministry hours after the last conference was still promoting a major international energy conference that will start in Riyadh on Sunday.
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthi group and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support to government forces seeking to reverse Houthi advances along the Red Sea. The results give the rebels better oversight of shipping in a corridor that is an important alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran attacks ships.
Although the Houthis have told the AP and others that they are only targeting Saudi Arabian ships as part of the blockade in retaliation for the blockade imposed on them, fears of a broader attack remain. The Houthis previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with the Palestinians. The US bombing campaign severely limited this.
Saudi Arabia lacks interceptors, officials say
Saudi Arabia lacks missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defense support to the region, regional officials told the AP last month. One report said that the US had seen its supplies dwindle during the war with Iran.
Officials say US assistance includes intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for recent attacks against the Houthis.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia said its foreign minister and his Omani counterpart spoke by telephone about the importance of “supporting a diplomatic solution to reduce tensions” in the region. Oman, located across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has sometimes played a mediator role in the region.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that “filming, publishing or sharing information related to efforts to counter missiles and drones and their impact locations exposes you to legal liability.”
Flight disruptions are increasing
This week, the Houthi group warned global airlines “one last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they describe as the arena of their military operations.
At least 291 flights at Riyadh airport have been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among the airlines that suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying lengths of time.
The European Union’s Aviation Security Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to attack targets further inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and their “greater focus on aviation infrastructure.”
Missile and drone attacks and interception attempts “create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,” he said.
Two regional officials said a Houthi attack on Riyadh airport on Thursday damaged three planes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The Saudi national airline said one of its planes was damaged while on the ground, and there were no passengers on board.
© 2026 Canadian Press
