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U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States may join Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, as a string of attacks on Saudi airports this week has raised the prospect of a broader American role in the conflict.
Asked whether he had decided to join the Saudi strikes on the Houthis, Trump said: “We may, we’re going to look at it.” He added that the administration had just learned of the latest airport attack and that a decision would come quickly, saying, “We’ll make a decision, we move very quickly.”
Trump’s comments came after King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck again Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the facility since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in neighboring Yemen.
A loud blast was heard at the airport, and witnesses reported an explosion followed by the sight of multiple people lying injured on the ground inside the terminal, according to people briefed on the matter.
More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to the scene, and passengers were evacuated from parts of the facility.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation later confirmed the blast was caused by a missile that struck a passenger terminal and said the attack had resulted in several injuries.
News agencies, citing hospital and eyewitness accounts, reported that dozens of people were wounded, with at least five in intensive care; some of the injured were airlifted to hospitals for treatment.
According to unconfirmed local tallies, as many as 50 people were hurt, though that figure has not been verified by Saudi authorities or international agencies.
Flight operations at the airport were temporarily suspended following the strike.
Flightradar24 showed no landings for nearly four hours after the last flight touched down at 2:05 p.m., with inbound flights diverted elsewhere.
Kuwait Airways said it was canceling flights to and from Riyadh because of the airport’s closure, while Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways canceled multiple flights between their hubs and the Saudi capital, with some cancellations extending into Monday.
The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia and Canada’s embassy both urged their citizens to avoid the airport, citing “ongoing military activity.”
The airport had already been hit twice earlier in the week, in attacks that killed four people, including a pilot, and damaged a Saudia aircraft. The Houthis claimed responsibility for those earlier strikes.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and are backed by Iran, have said they consider Saudi airspace a zone of military operations and have warned international airlines to avoid it.
The group has said its attacks are in response to the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive against Houthi positions in Yemen, which began earlier this month.
Reuters reported that Yemen’s Houthis said they had carried out operations targeting several locations inside Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait military base.
Trump’s remarks Saturday follow earlier reports that he gave the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, his backing for military action against the Houthis before Saudi forces began striking Houthi targets.
Saudi officials had told Washington they were concerned about the potential for a wider conflict with the Houthis and had sought American support for possible strikes.
Trump did not specify what form a potential US role might take, saying only that his administration was evaluating the situation following the latest attack and would announce a decision soon.
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