Donald Trump considers US military strikes on Houthis after Saudi airport attacks

US President Donald Trump said Washington is considering military strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, following a series of fatal drone and missile attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump condemned the insurgent group's recent escalation against the Gulf kingdom. "The Houthis are misbehaving very badly. No good," Trump said. Asked whether the United States would join Saudi Arabia in direct military action against the militia, he said: "We just found out about the recent attack — we'll make a decision. We're going to take a look."

Trump dismissed suggestions that the militia's actions were timed around US domestic politics. "I don't know how it affects the election. I don't take that into account," he said, while reiterating his administration's broader posture toward Tehran: "I just know Iran will never have a nuclear weapon... They're never going to have a nuclear weapon. But the Houthis are misbehaving."

The toll of recent airport attacks

The warning follows several strikes on key transport hubs across Saudi Arabia over the past fortnight, which have disrupted commercial aviation and caused civilian casualties.

In the deadliest incident on 10 October at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation initially recorded 12 deaths and 309 injuries. The toll rose to 13 after the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that an Indian national injured in the strike had died. Operations at both Riyadh and Abha were temporarily halted as ground teams inspected runways and terminals for structural damage.

Interceptions and regional fallout

Tensions escalated further this week when the Saudi-led military coalition intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward the Khamis Mushait airbase in southern Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki confirmed the destruction of the projectiles in a statement on X.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence agency temporarily instructed residents in Khamis Mushait Governorate to stay indoors and avoid filming before lifting the alert once the danger had cleared.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for firing a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport and deploying a drone against Khamis Mushait. In a statement on Telegram, Saree declared Saudi airspace unsafe for commercial travel, warning international airlines to avoid all airports in the country except those serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Regional diplomats have moved to prevent further escalation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held telephone talks on Monday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to review the situation, according to a statement released on Hussein's official channel.