International Condemnation Grows After Deadly Attack on Riyadh Airport
GOOBJOOG NEWS|RIYADH: Countries and international organisations have condemned an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that Saudi Arabia blamed on Yemen’s Houthi movement. At least 12 people were killed and 300 others injured.
According to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, those killed in Saturday’s attack included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis and nationals of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria and Egypt.
The attack was described as the deadliest inside Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. It comes amid an escalation of the conflict in Yemen, where the Houthis are fighting forces loyal to the country’s internationally recognised government.
Saudi Arabia has been carrying out air strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in support of Yemeni government forces.
US President Donald Trump condemned the airport attack, describing it as horrific, and said he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump also said his administration was considering whether the United States should join military operations against the Houthis, adding that a decision would be made quickly.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed. He offered condolences to the victims’ families and said Washington stood with Saudi Arabia.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply shocked by the attack and strongly condemned the targeting of the Riyadh airport.
Guterres said attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and called for them to stop immediately.
Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, said attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia represented a dangerous escalation. He warned that they threatened regional security and efforts to establish peace in Yemen.
Canada described the attack as unacceptable, saying there could be no justification for targeting civilian infrastructure.
Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan, Oman and Palestine also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Qatar called the attack a violation of Saudi sovereignty and said it endangered regional security, civilians and air travel.
Pakistan described the strike as an act of terrorism and declared its full support for Riyadh, while Jordan said the attack threatened regional stability and violated international law.
Oman called for dialogue, restraint and urgent efforts to prevent the conflict from expanding. The Japanese Embassy in Saudi Arabia also strongly condemned the repeated attacks, stressing that targeting civilians was unacceptable.
The airport attack could further escalate tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis as fighting in Yemen intensifies and concerns grow about the conflict’s effect on regional security.