National Defense

Houthis Launch Missile Attack On Riyadh International Airport As Blasts Shock Saudi Capital

Wikimedia Commons/Public/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>

Explosions rocked the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched missiles Saturday at King Khalid International Airport.

At least 12 people, including one American were killed and over 300 wounded after two explosions shook the major airport, which has come under attack at least two other times in the last week, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the strikes in a post to X, reporting several injuries and temporarily suspending flights. (RELATED: Trump Reportedly Called Off Houthi Strikes As Bombs Were Being Loaded Onto US Planes)

#Statement | An attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and operations are temporarily suspended.

#GACA https://t.co/5vhxoGBVc7

— هيئة الطيران المدني (@ksagaca) October 10, 2026

“The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announces that on Saturday, October 10, 2026, corresponding to 29 Rabi Al-Thani 1488H, King Khalid International Airport was targeted by an attack, amid continued attacks targeting civil aviation facilities in the Kingdom,” the aviation agency posted. “The attack resulted in a number of injuries, which are currently being assessed.”

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, signaled an openness to assisting a Saudi military response.

“We may,” Trump told reporters Saturday at the White House. “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.”

Saudi officials closed the airport after the attack, WSJ reported, noting that two passenger terminals were struck by missiles. A previous attack on Thursday destroyed a passenger jet and killed three people.

The United States and Israel launched  military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 after talks regarding the Islamic regime’s nuclear weapons program broke down. Trump and other administration officials asserted that program was “obliterated” after the June 2025 strike against multiple Iranian nuclear sites, but maintained Iran posed a threat to the U.S. without providing specific details.

The New York Times reported April 7 that, although there was skepticism among administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Trump was persuaded to authorize the military campaign against Iran following a February meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional details.