By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
A missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, marking a major escalation in the conflict involving the kingdom and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the casualties early on Sunday, saying several of the injured were in critical condition. The victims included four Saudi nationals and other countries. An American citizen was among those killed.
The attack on Saturday, October 10, also caused damage to airport facilities. Operations were temporarily suspended as authorities assessed the damage and emergency teams responded to the incident. The strike targeted the airport’s passenger terminal areas, according to media reports.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, describing the targeting of civilian aviation infrastructure as a serious violation and a war crime. However, the Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the latest strike in the reports available.
The attack came amid a surge in hostilities involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with the kingdom’s airports and other infrastructure facing repeated attacks. The latest strike was reported to be the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the beginning of the wider Iran war.
The incident has raised concerns about the potential expansion of the conflict and its impact on regional security and civilian air travel. The suspension of airport operations disrupted flights, with airlines cancelling or diverting services amid heightened security concerns.
The United States strongly condemned the attack. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the violence, while President Donald Trump said Washington was considering whether to join Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against the Houthis.
Experts said the possibility of direct US involvement would mark a further escalation in the conflict. Saudi Arabia has faced growing security challenges as fighting between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government has intensified.
The attack has also renewed concerns over the safety of civilian infrastructure in the region, as the conflict threatens to spread beyond Yemen and increase instability across the wider Middle East, experts said.