A Houthi ballistic missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10, 2026, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300, Saudi and international reports say. The Yemeni group has since claimed further strikes and warned Washington of a strong response if US forces join Saudi military action against it.
A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi movement hit terminal buildings used for domestic flights at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on the afternoon of Saturday, October 10, 2026, according to Al Jazeera and the Times of Israel. The strike landed around 3 p.m. local time, prompting an immediate evacuation and suspension of all airport operations.
Casualty toll and who died
Al Jazeera and the Times of Israel both reported 12 people killed and more than 300 wounded, some critically. The dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, according to both outlets. NBC News put the toll at 13, reporting that an Indian national injured in the blast later died of his wounds. NBC News said the attack was the deadliest by Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
Repeated strikes, airport still closed
Al Jazeera reported that the October 10 missile strike was the third Houthi assault on the Riyadh airport that week. France 24 reported that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed further ballistic-missile strikes on King Khalid Airport, along with a drone attack on the Khamis Mushait military base, on October 12. Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted several incoming missiles, though explosions were still confirmed over the capital.
According to France 24, King Khalid International Airport remained closed on October 12, with regional carriers Etihad and Gulf Air cancelling flights through at least October 17–19. The US Embassy in Riyadh restricted staff access to all Saudi airports, requiring special authorization to travel through them.
Reported casualty figures by outlet
Source
Killed
Wounded
As reported on
Al Jazeera
12
309+
Oct 10, 2026
Times of Israel
12
300+
Oct 10, 2026
NBC News
13 (incl. later death of an Indian national)
300+
Oct 12, 2026
Houthi warning to Washington
Senior Houthi official Mohammed Al Bukhaiti said on Monday, October 12, that the United States would face a strong response if it joined Saudi military action against the group, according to France 24. He said the group would target US interests across the region and threatened to strike Saudi infrastructure, warning employees at Saudi oil and airport sites to stay away from those facilities, France 24 reported.
The response will be swift and painful against the United States and all its interests in the region.
— Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, senior Houthi official, quoted by France 24
US weighing direct involvement
US President Donald Trump said on October 10 that he had not yet decided whether American forces would join Saudi Arabia's military response, telling reporters the US would examine the situation and decide quickly, according to the Times of Israel. Trump described the Riyadh attack as unacceptable and said he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the outlet reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the strikes, saying they showed disregard for civilian life, according to the Times of Israel.
Regional reaction
Qatar condemned the attack, calling it a serious threat to regional security, Al Jazeera reported. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman, Major-General Turki al-Malki, described the strike as a war crime and said the coalition would respond decisively, according to Al Jazeera. France 24 reported that Turkey condemned the attacks and that the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Canada jointly warned Iran against what they called unacceptable support for proxy groups in the region.
Background: a ceasefire that collapsed
The Iran-backed Houthis have fought Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces since Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015. NBC News reported that a 2022 ceasefire broke down in July 2026, after which the Houthis resumed attacks on Saudi territory. France 24 reported that the Houthis have declared Saudi airspace a military operations zone and warned commercial airlines to avoid it.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom would not be deterred by the attacks, according to NBC News. France 24 reported that the International Monetary Fund has lowered its 2026 growth forecast for the Middle East to -0.3%, citing the conflict and disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Questions
How many people were killed in the Riyadh airport attack?
Al Jazeera and the Times of Israel reported at least 12 people killed and more than 300 wounded in the October 10, 2026 strike. NBC News put the toll at 13 after an Indian national injured in the attack later died.
Why did the Houthis attack Riyadh's airport?
The strikes followed the collapse of a 2022 ceasefire in July 2026 between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, after which the Houthi movement resumed attacks on Saudi territory, according to NBC News and France 24.
Will the United States join Saudi Arabia's military response?
President Trump said on October 10 that no decision had been made yet, telling reporters the US would look into the situation and decide quickly, according to the Times of Israel.
Is King Khalid International Airport open again?
As of October 12, the airport remained closed, with regional airlines Etihad and Gulf Air having cancelled flights through at least October 17–19, France 24 reported.
What have the Houthis threatened if the US intervenes?
Houthi official Mohammed Al Bukhaiti warned of a strong response against US interests in the region and threatened to target Saudi oil and airport infrastructure, France 24 reported.
How the world is telling it
FrenchFrench outlet France 24 frames the escalation as part of a wider Iranian-backed destabilization of the Gulf, emphasizing the unprecedented scale of the Houthi strikes, their economic fallout — including an IMF downgrade of regional growth forecasts tied partly to disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz — and Western governments' joint warning to Iran over support for regional proxy groups.
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