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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the deadly Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in a statement posted on X on October 10. Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among the 12 people killed in the strike and said the United States stands with Saudi Arabia. He described the attacks as reprehensible and demonstrating a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life that must stop now. The statement also extended condolences to the victims and their families from the American government.
Saudi civil aviation authorities reported that the missile targeted a passenger terminal at the airport, killing four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, a Palestinian, an American, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese while injuring more than 300 people. Some of the wounded were listed in critical condition following the incident. The authorities said the strike hit terminals serving domestic flights, causing major disruptions and forcing airlines to cancel numerous departures. Saudi officials further characterized the assault as a war crime.
The attack comes just days after a Houthi strike on Abha International Airport that killed two people according to Saudi reports. It has been identified as the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began in February according to an Associated Press report. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for launching the missile from Yemen.
President Donald Trump said the United States may get involved in response to the latest violence. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” the president told reporters on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek that the US strongly condemns Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure and airports and is coordinating closely with officials in Riyadh.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously accused Iran of playing a direct role in some Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. In September Rubio told reporters there was clearly an Iranian hand behind assaults that injured dozens and hit energy facilities. The secretary has consistently described the Houthis as agents and proxies of Iran in the ongoing conflict.
Saudi officials have vowed a strong response to the attack. Major General Turki Al-Maki said the strikes amounted to a war crime and that the kingdom’s military would respond. The incident adds to a series of Houthi operations that have targeted both military and civilian sites across Saudi Arabia in recent months.
