Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemen After Deadly Houthi Missile Attack on Riyadh Airport

The Saudi Air Force carried out airstrikes on Sunday morning in Taiz Governorate, southwestern Yemen, according to Arab media reports. The strikes reportedly came in response to a deadly Houthi attack on the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, the previous evening. A ballistic missile struck the airport, reportedly killing 12 people and injuring more than 300 others.

U.S. President Donald Trump responded overnight to the Houthi attack. “The attacks against Saudi Arabia were terrible. We have contacts with the Houthis, and we'll see what happens, but what they did was very bad,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the attack, stating: “We condemn the attacks by Houthi terrorists against Saudi Arabia, which killed innocent civilians, including an American citizen.”

Trump Questions Saudi Arabia's Military Capabilities

Despite the condemnation, the United States has reportedly been reluctant to respond positively to Saudi Arabia's request for assistance.

According to Tzvi Yehezkeli, an Arab affairs commentator for i24NEWS, Trump criticized Saudi Arabia's military capabilities and its dependence on American support.

“The Saudis are not good fighters. This is a failed state that cannot survive without the United States,” Trump was quoted as saying.

“Saudi Arabia has suffered an extremely serious attack, following previous attacks on its oil facilities and now its airports. A country with unlimited financial resources and American military equipment is unable to defend itself. Why?

“Saudi Arabia is a kingdom built entirely on money, rather than fighting spirit or a shared national ethos. Without American assistance, the Houthis will continue to destabilize it. This is a failure for which Mohammed bin Salman bears full responsibility.”

Ballistic Missile Strikes Airport Terminal

According to the report, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia's main airport on Saturday. One missile was intercepted, while the second scored a direct hit on the terminal.

The attack took place just two days after an earlier strike reportedly damaged aircraft at the airport and killed three Saudi citizens, including a pilot.

In an official statement, the Saudi government identified the nationalities of the 12 people reportedly killed in the latest attack: one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, one Sudanese, two Bangladeshi nationals, and four Saudi citizens.

CNN reportedly stated that the attack occurred without advance warning and that Saudi Arabia's threat detection system failed to activate any air raid sirens.