The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has vowed to “respond decisively” to a Houthi attack on Riyadh that killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malik condemned Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport as “a full-fledged war crime according to the customary international humanitarian law”.
“It is a heinous act that contradicts all principles, values, and ethics,” he said on Sunday morning, adding that the coalition would respond in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The airport was closed as a precaution on Saturday. Authorities on Sunday extended the shutdown by 24 hours, until 1am local time on Monday, flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 said. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for updates.
US President Donald Trump said Washington could join Saudi Arabia in strikes against the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, following the attack, which killed an American citizen.
Asked whether the US would participate in any Saudi action, Mr Trump said: “We may. We're going to look at it.”
“We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly,” he added.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the strike, saying it had taken “numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen”.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Mr Rubio wrote on X. “We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the attack and called for an immediate halt to strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that such attacks violate international law.
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg described the latest series of attacks as a “grave escalation”, saying it threatened regional security, perpetuated violence and further complicated efforts to secure peace in Yemen. He urged the Houthis to cease the attacks and respect international humanitarian law.
Governments in the region and beyond rallied behind Riyadh. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack “completely unacceptable”, reaffirming Islamabad’s “unwavering solidarity” with the kingdom and its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.
Qatar described the strike as a “grave violation” of Saudi sovereignty, stressing that the kingdom’s security was integral to its own and to that of Gulf Co-operation Council states. Jordan also condemned the attack, reporting that one Jordanian was was killed and four wounded.
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Kuwait condemned what it described as a “blatant assault” by the Houthis, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency. It renewed its “absolute solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and called on the international community to take a firm position to protect civilian sites and hold those responsible to account.
The Netherlands also condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on multiple airports that caused casualties. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen expressed condolences to victims’ families, saying the Netherlands stood in “full solidarity with the people of Saudi Arabia and our Gulf partners”.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the attacks “abhorrent”, saying there could be no justification for attacking civilian infrastructure.
US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy was among those to criticise Mr Trump, writing that the situation now represented “a full regional war” and the US President had started the conflict.
"This is now a full regional war. Started by Donald Trump. For no good reason," he wrote on X. "It’s a civilian airport that should never, ever be a target. This campaign of terror by the Houthis must stop immediately," he added.
