This Saturday's attack on Riyadh airport takes place after Saudi Arabia said it would intensify
© Getty Images/AFP
11/10/2026
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News to Minute, Lusa
Uat least 12 dead and 309 injured were attacked at the international airport of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The attack was attributed to the Huthis, allied group of Iran, although they have not yet spoken.
The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition, in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, accused the pro-Iranian Huthis fighters, denouncing “a war crime” to which it will respond “firmly”.
Riyadh announces operation against huthis
The attack took place shortly after the coalition led by Saudi Arabia announced that it was conducting a “large-scale operation” against the Huthis, having a means of communication affiliated with these pro-Iran fighters reported attacks in northwest Yemen.
“ We are conducting large-scale operations targeting Huthis’ staff and capabilities, announced on social network X the spokesman of the coalition, Turki al-Maliki.
The same source specified that “136 military targets” houthis had been destroyed.
The coalition “is committed to dismantle and destroy the Huthis ballistic missile network” and “provides 24-hour air support to Yemen’s armed forces,” he added.
Riyadh Airport hit by Huthis missile
On Saturday afternoon, Riyadh airport was hit by a Huthis rebel missile, said diplomatic source to France Presse (AFP).
“Huthis are attacking civilian targets. Riyadh airport is a civilian target,” said the diplomatic source to AFP, specifying that a missile hit the facility around 3 p.m. locals (13.00 in Lisbon).
It would be confirmed that at least 12 people died and 309 were injured
The operations were temporarily suspended until the damage was assessed and the safety of the premises was verified, the entity added.
Trump admits to joining the Saudi offensive against the Huthis
Following the attack, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, admitted to joining the coalition led by Saudi Arabia against the Huthis rebels, allies of Iran in Yemen, stating that expects to make a decision “very quickly”.
“It’s possible. Let's look at the situation. We just heard about this recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We are acting very quickly,” Trump said when he was questioned by journalists in the White House.
International voices condemn attack
The attack has already been condemned by several worldwide entities.
The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, condemned the attack and called on the group to put an end to these attacks. “This is added to the attacks carried out earlier this week against the airports of Riyadh and Abha, which also caused deaths and injuries among the civilian population. These attacks represent a serious escalation”, lamented Grundberg in a statement.
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shebaz Sharif, also said he was strengthening Pakistan's commitment to Saudi sovereignty and condemned the attacks as unacceptable. “The attacks aimed at civilians and essential infrastructure are totally unacceptable and constitute a serious threat to regional peace and stability,” Sharif said in a message published on social network X.
History of conflict
Saturday's attack occurs after significant military advances by the Huthis in western Yemen, allowing control of vast areas of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
This strategic gateway to the Suez Canal has served as an alternative to the Strait of Ormuz, which has been blocked by Iran since the start of the US and Israel offensive on 28 February against the Islamic Republic.
After years of relative calm in the civil war in Yemen, the fragile truce agreed in 2022 collapsed in July, when the Huthis challenged Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, allowing the landing of a plane with Iranian representatives in Sanaa.
The Huthis are part of the so-called axis of resistance, formed by political and armed groups supported by Iran, alongside Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Iraq.
Between 2023 and 2025, they attacked commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea as a form of support for Hamas in the war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.