Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12 and Injures More Than 300

A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others, Saudi civil aviation authorities said early Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The attack targeted a complex housing domestic flight terminals 3 and 4, according to a regional official, as escalating hostilities involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels raised concerns about a wider regional conflict.

The death toll included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan, according to Saudi authorities. More than 300 injured people were receiving treatment at several hospitals, with some reported to be in critical condition.

The regional official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to address the media, said a missile struck the airport complex. The facility has no military installations, according to the report.

Saudi civil aviation authorities suspended airport operations on Saturday following the strike. Police blocked entrances, lighting around the complex was dimmed, and flights were diverted to other airports, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, and Canada warned their citizens to avoid the airport.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis blamed the rebels for the attack and described it as a

"fully-fledged war crime," the Saudi-led coalition said.

The coalition vowed a firm response. The Houthis had not immediately commented on the latest strike, although they had earlier accused Saudi Arabia of attacking Sanaa International Airport in Yemen's capital.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that his administration was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. The comments came shortly after the airport attack, as Washington weighed its response to the escalating violence.

"We may. We're going to look at it," Trump said.

Trump said his administration had only recently learned of the attack and would make a decision quickly.

"We just found out about the recent attack. So we'll make a decision. We move very quickly," Trump said.

Later Saturday, Trump said he intended to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the incident.

"What happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable," Trump said.

Asked whether the United States would become directly involved, Trump remained noncommittal.

"We'll find out," Trump said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the attack and confirmed that an American citizen had been killed. The death was among the 12 reported by Saudi authorities.

"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now," Rubio said in a social media post.

The strike was the latest in a series of attacks on the airport during the preceding week. The Houthis had claimed responsibility for earlier attacks that killed three Saudis, including a pilot, according to the report.

The escalation followed a major military offensive launched by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis approximately one week earlier. Attacks have also targeted other Saudi airports, military facilities, and oil infrastructure, increasing pressure on the kingdom and raising concerns about regional security.

Saudi Arabia has sought additional air defense assistance as the conflict intensifies. Regional officials previously told The Associated Press that the kingdom was running low on missile interceptors and had requested support from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt. One official also said U.S. interceptor supplies had dwindled during the war with Iran.

Saudi officials said the kingdom's foreign minister spoke by telephone with his Omani counterpart on Saturday about the need for diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions.

The Saudi statement emphasized the importance of

"supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions," Saudi authorities said.

Oman has previously acted as a mediator in regional disputes. The latest diplomatic contact came as the fighting expanded beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia, threatening important shipping routes and energy infrastructure.

The Houthis also issued a warning to international airlines operating in Saudi airspace earlier in the week, cautioning carriers about the potential consequences of continued flights.

The rebels warned global airlines

"for the last time," the Houthis said.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have been in conflict since 2015, when the kingdom intervened in Yemen's civil war in support of the internationally recognized government. A relative calm following a 2022 ceasefire ended in July, when the Houthis resumed attacks and accused Saudi Arabia of targeting Sanaa airport.

The latest escalation has unfolded alongside the broader Iran war. The Houthis have expanded their military activity, while Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have attempted to reverse rebel advances along the Red Sea with support from the Saudi-led coalition.

Separately, U.S. Central Command said Saturday that a fighter jet struck and disabled the Panama-flagged commercial cargo vessel M/V Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman using a precision munition. The vessel had departed an Iranian port and ignored repeated warnings, according to the command, which said the crew was unharmed.

Despite the security crisis, Saudi Arabia's energy ministry continued promoting an international energy conference scheduled to begin in Riyadh on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.