US President Donald Trump is weighing a possible military response against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis following another missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport, renewing the prospect of direct American involvement in Saudi Arabia’s expanding military campaign.
Trump said on Saturday he had just learned of the latest attack on King Khalid International Airport and would make a decision, as Washington faced renewed questions over whether it could join Saudi-led strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.
The president’s remarks come after weeks of discussions within his administration over possible US military intervention, with Saudi Arabia repeatedly urging Washington to take a more active role against the Houthis.
According to earlier reporting by Axios and The New York Times, Trump had considered authorising strikes against Houthi targets in September but ultimately held back amid concerns about opening another front in the wider Middle East conflict.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had pressed Trump for American military assistance as Houthi forces threatened strategic shipping routes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
On October 2, Axios reported that US officials had again rejected Saudi requests for direct airstrikes but acknowledged that Washington’s position could change if the Saudi-backed military offensive encountered difficulties.
The latest attack has brought that possibility back into focus.
Saudi aviation authorities confirmed that King Khalid International Airport was struck again on Saturday, with a missile hitting the domestic terminal area and injuring several people.
The attack triggered evacuations, emergency deployments and widespread flight cancellations. Reuters reported that witnesses saw injured passengers on the ground while ambulances rushed to the facility.
The latest assault followed attacks earlier in the week that killed three Saudi nationals, including an airline pilot, and damaged commercial aircraft.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for previous strikes on the airport, although they had not immediately claimed Saturday’s latest attack, according to the Associated Press.
Washington has so far provided intelligence, targeting assistance and operational support to Saudi-backed forces without directly participating in the latest offensive.
Axios previously reported that American military planners had supplied Saudi Arabia with more than 200 potential Houthi targets, underscoring the extent of US involvement short of conducting its own strikes.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed 136 Houthi military targets in Yemen as part of an expanding operation aimed at weakening the group’s missile capabilities and supporting government forces.
