A second projectile struck Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11, Saudi officials said. The attack, claimed by Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi movement, follows a larger strike on the same airport the previous day that left at least 12 dead and hundreds wounded, according to multiple reports.
Casualties and immediate response
The Saudi health ministry identified the fatality as a Pakistani national, while the injured include both Saudi citizens and expatriates.
"One dead, eleven injured," Al Jazeera reported, adding that the victim was a Pakistani resident.The Ministry of Health’s spokesperson said the injured were receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, and the Saudi health minister visited the survivors on Sunday, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Security forces closed the passenger terminal and suspended all flights at the airport, a measure extended for several days, according to Politico and Reuters. CCTV footage released by Al Arabiya showed the moment of impact, confirming the strike’s location within the airport’s perimeter.
Political and diplomatic fallout
The Houthi group, which has intensified its missile campaign against Saudi targets since the start of the year, said the attacks were retaliation for Saudi airstrikes on Yemeni soil. The New York Times noted that the Houthis also claimed responsibility for a strike on Sana’a’s airport, alleging Saudi aircraft had bombed Yemen’s capital.
Iran’s foreign minister, in a call with his Saudi counterpart, urged diplomatic efforts to de‑escalate the situation, offering Tehran’s assistance as a mediator, per Al Jazeera. The same outlet reported that Iran deemed the United States’ recent response “inadequate” after Washington expressed willingness to consider further action.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said he was “looking at” the possibility of joining Saudi Arabia in a campaign against the Houthis, while the Washington Post and CNBC highlighted the debate within the U.S. administration about expanding military involvement in the region.
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres condemned the attacks, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities, as UN News reported. The escalating pattern of strikes has raised concerns among regional observers that the conflict could widen beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have vowed retaliation. The Saudi Ministry of Defense said it would respond proportionally to any further attacks, a statement echoed by the kingdom’s state media. Meanwhile, analysts cited by CNN and the Financial Times warned that Saudi options are limited, given the asymmetrical nature of the Houthi threat and the broader geopolitical stakes involving Iran.
Overall, the twin attacks on Riyadh’s main international gateway underline a sharp increase in Houthi capabilities and a growing willingness to strike high‑profile targets deep inside Saudi territory. The incident adds pressure on diplomatic channels already strained by the war in Yemen and the broader rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh.
