Trump Weighs U.S. Support for Saudi Fight Against Houthis

The United States could expand its military involvement in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said Saturday, October 10, 2026, that his administration was considering supporting Saudi Arabia's campaign against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. The deliberations followed a deadly attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that intensified pressure on the kingdom's security partners.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the airport attack killed 12 people and injured 309 others, according to Saudi Gazette. The incident marked the second deadly assault on the facility in less than a week, following Thursday's attacks that killed three Saudi nationals, including a pilot.

Trump indicated that Washington had not reached a decision on whether to support Saudi retaliatory strikes. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, he said, "We may. We're going to look at it," according to CNBC.

The president added that officials had only recently learned about the latest attack and that the administration would decide its response quickly. His comments leave open the possibility of additional U.S. military action against the Houthis.

Two Saudi government officials told MS NOW that Riyadh was seeking "urgent defense support" from Washington after the attacks. The officials, including a senior member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The officials said the United States needed to intervene "as soon as possible" to help the Saudi-led coalition fight the Houthis in Yemen. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, condemned the airport attack and characterized it as a "war crime."

Al-Maliki said, "Therefore, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will respond decisively to this terrorist attack in accordance with the Customary International Humanitarian Law," in a post on X. The coalition has led military operations against the Houthis during Yemen's prolonged conflict.

The Houthis renewed their warning against using Saudi airports following Saturday's attack. In a post on X, the group said, "We renew our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theatre of operations for our forces, with the exception of the airports in (the holy cities of) Mecca and Medina," according to the source report.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The kingdom has since supported Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed group.

The potential U.S. intervention could place additional demands on American military resources already committed to the conflict with Iran. The Critical Threats Project, part of the American Enterprise Institute, said, "Potential U.S. involvement in the Saudi-Yemeni government air campaign to degrade Houthi ballistic missile capabilities would mark the first direct U.S. military action against the group since the conclusion of Operation Rough Rider in May 2025," according to its assessment.

The previous U.S. campaign sought to weaken Houthi military capabilities, but subsequent attacks have raised questions about the group's ability to resume operations. Steven Cook, an expert on Arab and Turkish politics at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote, "After seven months of war, there are questions about the U.S. capacity to wage a sustained campaign against the Houthis, return to combat against Iran if necessary, and prepare for contingencies in other parts of the world, notably East Asia," in an analysis published last month.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the United Kingdom was also examining ways to support Saudi Arabia. Speaking to BBC television on Sunday, he said, "I've spoken to my Saudi counterpart [Khalid bin Salman] on a number of occasions in recent weeks to look at what more we can do to support Saudi Arabia, and I'm afraid last night explains precisely why we are providing that support."

Beyond the military implications, the attacks have raised concerns about energy transportation through the region. The Houthis have sought to disrupt oil tanker traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, while disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have added pressure to global energy markets.

Saudi Arabia's energy ministry said a previously scheduled five-day WPC Energy Congress would proceed in Riyadh beginning Sunday. Saudi state television told Reuters that more than 70 ministers, 300 company executives and representatives of over 25 international energy organizations had confirmed attendance, although it remained unclear how many would participate in person.