RIYADH, Oct 12 – A passenger terminal at Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck by a projectile on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11 others, Saudi authorities said, a day after a missile attack on the same complex killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. The latest strike has intensified concerns over the widening conflict involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, raised questions about the security of Saudi Arabia’s aviation infrastructure and increased fears of further disruption to regional oil supplies and international shipping.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the projectile hit the airport’s domestic terminal complex. The rebels have claimed responsibility for the attacks on Riyadh and other targets across the kingdom. The airport has now been struck four times in five days and has remained closed since Saturday’s deadly assault, which marked one of the most serious attacks on a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began.
Riyadh Airport Attacks Raise Fears of Further Escalation
Saudi authorities identified one person killed in Sunday’s attack as a Pakistani national. Eleven others were reported injured, although officials did not immediately provide further details about their conditions or the extent of the damage to the terminal.
The death toll from Saturday’s attack also appeared to rise. India’s embassy in Saudi Arabia said one of its citizens had died from injuries sustained in the earlier strike, potentially bringing the number of fatalities from that incident to 13. Saudi officials had previously reported that more than 300 people were wounded, with some suffering critical injuries.
The victims included people of several nationalities who were inside the busy terminal when the missile struck. Among those identified were an Egyptian flight attendant and a Syrian widow living in Saudi Arabia. Authorities had also confirmed the deaths of four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, one Palestinian, one American, one Jordanian and one Sudanese national.
Early Monday, Saudi Arabia released security-camera footage showing the moment Saturday’s missile hit the terminal. The recordings showed passengers gathered in a crowded hall, including people dressed in white garments commonly worn by Muslim pilgrims travelling to Mecca. Others were sitting nearby or looking at their phones when a sudden explosion sent a fireball through the area. People then dropped to the floor or ran for cover as panic spread through the terminal.
Surveillance footage shows smoke and fire at the moment of an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 10, 2026, in this frame from a handout video. Saudi Ministry of Media/Handout via REUTERS
Surveillance footage shows smoke and fire as people react at the moment of an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 10, 2026, in this frame from a handout video. Saudi Ministry of Media/Handout via REUTERS
The latest violence has also extended beyond Riyadh. Saudi authorities reported that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, a major city on the Persian Gulf near Bahrain and Qatar, had come under attack. Officials provided few details about the incident, including whether it caused casualties or significant damage.
The Houthis, meanwhile, said Sanaa International Airport in Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital had been struck again, accusing Saudi Arabia of carrying out the attacks. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel reported further strikes on Sanaa on Sunday night. Saudi officials had not publicly commented on those allegations.
The exchange of attacks underscores the growing risk of a wider confrontation as the conflict increasingly threatens airports, civilian infrastructure and transportation networks across the region.
Trump Weighs Response as Oil and Shipping Routes Face New Risks
The escalation has placed renewed attention on the possibility of direct American military involvement. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is considering joining the fight against the Houthis, whose attacks have increasingly targeted Saudi Arabia, a key American partner in the Middle East. The White House had not issued a comment on Sunday’s airport strike.
Trump had also indicated plans to speak with Saudi Crown Prince MBS, who has been seeking international assistance against the Houthi movement. There was no immediate indication that the proposed conversation had taken place by Sunday.
Any American intervention could prompt the Houthis to expand their attacks beyond Saudi territory. One major concern is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic waterway at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen. The passage is a crucial route for commercial shipping connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The Houthis seized key areas along the strait last month, while forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition have been attempting to recover the territory on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. If the rebels disrupt shipping through the passage, the consequences could extend well beyond the immediate conflict.
Oil shipments leaving the Persian Gulf could face additional restrictions, particularly as regional energy infrastructure and transportation routes are already under pressure. The potential disruption comes amid heightened concern over the Strait of Hormuz, another vital maritime corridor threatened by the wider Iran war.
A prolonged interruption to either route could increase shipping costs, delay energy deliveries and put upward pressure on global oil prices. The effects would likely extend to countries that depend on imported fuel and goods transported through the region.
Saudi Arabia is also facing questions about its ability to defend critical infrastructure against repeated missile attacks. Regional officials previously indicated that the kingdom was running short of missile interceptors and had requested air defense assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt. The United States has also experienced pressure on its interceptor supplies during the Iran war.
The repeated attacks have already affected commercial aviation. Some airlines have suspended services to Saudi airports, while certain embassies have warned their citizens about the risks associated with air travel in the kingdom. Continued threats to Saudi airspace could prompt additional cancellations and disrupt travel for business passengers, tourists and religious pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia Faces Pressure as Houthi Attacks Threaten Its Economic Plans
Sunday’s strike occurred as Riyadh hosted a major international energy conference, placing the latest security crisis in direct contrast with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to present itself as a stable destination for international business and investment.
Under Crown Prince MBS, the kingdom has pursued an ambitious economic transformation intended to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and expand tourism, entertainment, technology and international investment. The government has invested heavily in infrastructure and sought to attract businesses and visitors from around the world.
Repeated attacks on airports, energy facilities and military installations threaten to undermine those efforts by increasing security concerns among airlines, investors and international companies. The risk is particularly significant as Saudi Arabia prepares to host additional high-profile business and investment events.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud addressed the country’s resilience during the energy conference, saying the kingdom would recover from the crisis.
“There is no way that somebody will break our back. We are like a phoenix, we come out of the ashes all the time,” he said.
The minister also indicated that Saudi Arabia was working on additional pipeline infrastructure alongside its existing East-West pipeline. That system provides an alternative route for transporting crude oil toward the Red Sea, helping the kingdom reduce its reliance on shipments through the Persian Gulf. The existing pipeline was attacked last month and remained closed for several days, highlighting the vulnerability of the country’s energy network.
The announcement offered little detail about the planned projects, but the focus on alternative transportation routes reflects the strategic importance of maintaining oil exports even if regional shipping lanes become less secure.
Saudi Arabia’s immediate challenge, however, extends beyond protecting its energy industry. The airport attacks have exposed the risks facing ordinary civilians and international travellers as the conflict spreads across national borders. Further strikes could deepen uncertainty around commercial aviation and complicate the kingdom’s attempts to maintain normal economic activity.
The violence also comes as fighting intensifies inside Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition is providing air support to government forces seeking to reverse recent Houthi territorial gains.
Civilian Casualties Mount as Analysts Warn of a Backfire
The latest developments have coincided with rising casualties in Yemen, where both sides have accused the other of attacks that endanger civilians.
The Houthi-run health ministry said a child was killed and six other people were injured in a suspected Saudi airstrike on a house in Sanaa on Sunday. The ministry also reported that 91 Yemenis had been killed in attacks by the Saudi-led coalition over five weeks, claiming that women and children accounted for 60% of those deaths.
Saudi authorities had not immediately responded to those specific allegations. The figures could not be independently verified from the information available, and the competing claims underscore the difficulty of establishing a complete picture of civilian casualties during the escalating conflict.
Fighting has intensified following a major military offensive against the Houthis launched about a week earlier. The campaign represents another stage in a conflict that began in 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in support of the internationally recognized government.
A period of relative calm following a 2022 ceasefire deteriorated in July, when the Houthis resumed attacks. The rebels said Saudi forces had fired on Sanaa’s airport while a plane from Iran was attempting to land. The incident renewed tensions surrounding the Saudi-led blockade, which has largely isolated areas controlled by the Houthis. The rebels subsequently declared a blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The latest confrontation has brought the movement more directly into the wider Iran war. Although the Houthis had remained relatively peripheral to the conflict during its earlier stages, they have developed increasingly sophisticated military capabilities and emerged as one of Tehran’s most important regional allies.
Diplomatic efforts have continued alongside the fighting. Late Sunday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran spoke by telephone. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had warned against relying on military action while overlooking a political settlement. He also said Tehran was prepared to help facilitate dialogue between Riyadh and the Houthis.
Whether those efforts can reduce tensions remains uncertain, particularly as attacks on airports and other critical infrastructure continue.
Ahmed Nagi, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Yemen, warned that the Houthis’ strategy could ultimately strengthen Saudi Arabia’s determination to continue its military campaign.
“Rather than pushing Riyadh to step back, attacks on critical Saudi infrastructure could make the Saudis more determined to continue the campaign,” Nagi said.
His assessment points to a central risk for the rebels: attacks intended to pressure Saudi Arabia into changing course could instead harden the kingdom’s position and increase the likelihood of a broader military response.
For now, the repeated strikes on Saudi airports, the growing civilian death toll and the threat to major maritime routes have raised the stakes across the Middle East. With Washington weighing its next move and regional governments seeking ways to protect critical infrastructure, the course of the conflict could have significant consequences for civilian safety, international travel, energy markets and the stability of global trade.