Houthis strike Riyadh airport, killing 13 and injuring hundreds

Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched multiple missile strikes on Riyadh's main international airport on Saturday, killing 13 people and injuring more than 300, including nationals from the United States, Saudi Arabia, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Sudan. The airport remained closed on Monday, and the attack disrupted the WPC Energy Congress, leading several top oil-company executives to withdraw from the event.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman opened the Monday session of the conference, affirming the country's safety while acknowledging that the risk had not been eliminated. He said the kingdom's response to the “stepped-up fighting” must be “equally serious.”

Analyst Adam Baron of the New America think tank described the strikes as the deadliest Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade and warned they could prompt a stronger international effort to degrade the rebel group. He noted the precision of the attacks heightened anxiety about the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure.

President Donald Trump said the United States was reviewing whether to join Saudi military operations against the Houthis, adding that a decision would be made quickly. The Houthis have reportedly told the United States they do not wish to fight alongside it.

The attacks come as ground fighting in Yemen intensifies and Houthi operations expand along the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane. Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war since 2015.