Riyadh airport attack kills 12, Saudi aviation body says

Saudi Arabia's aviation authority reports 12 deaths in an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where flights were suspended.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation also reported 309 injuries following the attack on Saturday. Saudi coalition officials blamed Yemen's Houthi forces, while President Donald Trump said Washington was considering whether to become involved, without committing to a response.

The flight suspension affected both arrivals and departures at the Saudi capital's airport. Footage described as showing the aftermath depicted rubble inside the terminal and dust across interior spaces; those images alone do not establish who conducted the attack or how it was carried out.

Casualties span nine nationalities

The aviation authority identified four of those killed as Saudi citizens and two as Bangladeshi residents. The other six were residents from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, with one death reported for each nationality.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said the attack struck a passenger hall. His account placed both civilian passengers and airport employees among those killed or injured, bringing the consequences beyond damage to the terminal itself.

Al-Maliki characterized the strike as a "fully fledged war crime" under international humanitarian law. That characterization is the coalition's legal accusation against the Houthis, rather than a finding by a court, and should be distinguished from the aviation authority's casualty figures.

Houthi warning extends beyond Riyadh

The Houthi-affiliated Yemeni armed forces warned airlines, aviation personnel and passengers against using airports in Saudi Arabia or entering its airspace. Their spokesperson described those facilities and skies as potential military targets, while excluding Mecca and Medina airports from the warning.

The statement extended the threatened geographic scope beyond the facility in Riyadh. A warning about possible future attacks is distinct from confirmation of responsibility for this strike; the Saudi coalition's attribution and the Houthi-affiliated forces' statement therefore represent separate claims.

If that threat leads airlines to avoid additional Saudi destinations, disruption would extend beyond the existing suspension at King Khalid International Airport. That is a conditional risk, not evidence of further cancellations: the reported operational action concerns flights serving the Riyadh airport.

Trump leaves US response undecided

Asked about possible American involvement, President Donald Trump said: "We might do that. We will study the matter." His wording left both the decision and the nature of any involvement open, rather than announcing military action or another specific measure.

Trump also said: "We have just learned of the latest attack, and therefore we will make a decision. We are moving very quickly." Whether Washington acts, whether airlines broaden their restrictions and when Riyadh's suspended services resume are separate decisions; none follows automatically from the statements issued so far.