Trump says US may join Saudi strikes on Houthis as Riyadh airport is hit again
Representative image: chrisisapilot / Pixabay
After a 10 October 2026 strike on Riyadh airport killed at least 12, Trump said the US 'may' join Saudi strikes on the Houthis; the airport was hit again on 11 October.
What Happened
US President Donald Trump has said the United States may join Saudi Arabia's military strikes against Yemen's Houthi movement, after a missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, 10 October 2026 killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi authorities. Asked by reporters whether he had decided to take part, Trump said: "We may. We're going to look at it." He said he planned to speak to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and called what happened in Saudi Arabia "not acceptable". On Sunday, 11 October, the airport was struck again; the Saudi-led coalition said that attack caused a fire in Terminal 4.
Key Facts
- Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people, four Saudis and eight foreigners, according to Saudi authorities; at least 309 people were wounded at the latest count.
- It is described as the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
- Earlier in the same week, attacks on the airport between Tuesday and Thursday killed at least six people, including three Saudi citizens, one of them a pilot.
- A further strike on Sunday, 11 October, caused a fire in Terminal 4, the coalition said.
- The Saudi-led coalition called Saturday's attack a "full-fledged war crime" and said it would respond decisively.
- Trump said the US "may" join Saudi strikes and would "look at it"; he did not announce a decision.
- The fighting follows the collapse of a United Nations-brokered ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.
Why It Matters
For several years the Yemen war had been relatively quiet, held in check by a UN-brokered truce. That calm is now gone. Repeated strikes on the main airport of the Saudi capital, a civilian facility with no military base, mark a sharp escalation, and the death toll from Saturday's attack is the highest the kingdom has suffered in a single attack in more than a decade.
Trump's remarks raise the possibility that the conflict will draw in the United States directly. He stopped short of committing American forces, but saying publicly that Washington "may" join puts pressure on both the Houthis and Riyadh. Any US involvement would widen a regional war at a time when the Gulf is already tense, and could invite Houthi attacks on American ships or bases.
The Houthis have also been trying to disrupt oil tanker traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, according to reporting on Trump's comments. That waterway is one of the main routes for ships travelling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Any further trouble there tends to push up shipping costs and insurance premiums for traders across Asia, including India, and adds to pressure on oil prices.
For India, the escalation touches three interests at once: the safety of the many Indian nationals who live and work in Saudi Arabia, the security of energy supplies from the Gulf, and the cost and reliability of sea trade routes to Europe. New Delhi has close ties with both Riyadh and Washington, and a wider war would complicate its diplomacy in the region.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday to Thursday | Attacks on Riyadh airport kill at least six |
| Saturday, 10 October | Missile strike kills at least 12, wounds over 300 |
| Saturday | Coalition calls it a war crime and vows to respond |
| Sunday, 11 October | Airport hit again; fire in Terminal 4 |
| Weekend | Trump says US "may" join Saudi strikes |
Impact
Short-term: Flights at Riyadh's main airport face disruption and suspensions, and travellers, including Indian workers and pilgrims transiting through the Saudi capital, may face delays and cancellations. Oil and shipping markets are likely to stay jumpy.
Long-term: If the United States joins the Saudi campaign, the Yemen conflict could become a wider regional war, with risks to Gulf energy production and to shipping in the Red Sea.
Who is affected: Residents and foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, airlines and travellers using Riyadh, Yemeni civilians caught in renewed air strikes, oil importers, and shipping companies using the Red Sea route.
Key Takeaway
After the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, Trump has said the US may join Riyadh's strikes on the Houthis, raising the risk of a wider Gulf war.
Questions and Answers
What happened at Riyadh airport?
A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport on 10 October 2026 killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, Saudi authorities said, and the airport was hit again on 11 October.
Is the United States going to war with the Houthis?
Not yet. Trump said the US "may" join Saudi strikes and would "look at it", but he did not announce a decision.
Why has the Yemen war flared up again?
A UN-brokered ceasefire that had largely held since 2022 has collapsed, and the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition have resumed attacks on each other.
Why should Indian readers follow this?
Many Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, India imports energy from the Gulf, and Houthi attempts to disrupt the Bab el-Mandeb strait threaten a key shipping route between Asia and Europe.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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