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The Saudi-led international coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday that an unidentified projectile hit a terminal at Riyadh airport, a day after a deadly attack there blamed on the Iran-backed group.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport, causing a fire. He added that air defences also “intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile” in the vicinity of the airport.
The sharp escalation in the latest front in the Iran war threatens to draw in greater U.S. military involvement as President Donald Trump has said he is weighing joining the fight against the rebels.
Riyadh airport shut down since Saturday
Riyadh’s international airport remained closed on Sunday, a day after an attack killed 12 people. US President Donald Trump said Washington might join Saudi strikes against Yemen’s Houthis.
Asked on Saturday whether Washington would take part, Trump told reporters, “We may. We’re going to look at it.” He did not announce a decision to join the strikes.
He later said Saudi Arabia could defend itself against the Houthis and described the airport attack as “terrible”.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the attack on King Khalid International Airport and vowed a decisive response. Saudi aviation authorities said 309 people were injured, some critically. Four Saudis and eight foreign nationals, including an American citizen, were killed.
The Houthis renewed their warning on Sunday to airlines, airport workers and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the facilities remained vulnerable to attack.
In a separate incident, the coalition said a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Saturday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the strike a “dangerous escalation” on Sunday and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
“These attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” she said, warning of the threat to international transport and energy infrastructure.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack.
“Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law. These attacks must cease immediately,” he said in a statement issued on Saturday.
Qatar condemned the strike as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to civilians and aviation safety.
UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned on Sunday that the attacks threatened regional security and further complicated efforts to secure peace in Yemen.
Airlines extend Riyadh flight cancellations
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said the airport’s closure had been extended until midnight local time at the start of Monday, 12 October. Saudi aviation authorities had not confirmed when flights would resume.
A senior aviation source told AFP that operators had been informed at dawn that flights would remain suspended. A second aviation source said radar and communications equipment had been damaged and the runways needed to be assessed.
Etihad Airways cancelled six flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on Sunday and a further return service on Monday. The airport urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling there.
Emirates also cancelled Riyadh flights on Sunday and Monday, The National reported.
Lufthansa Group had already suspended flights to Riyadh through 16 October following attacks earlier in the week.
SriLankan Airlines suspended its Riyadh flights until 18 October, citing the security incident and ongoing safety assessments.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its warning on Friday to cover more Saudi airspace, citing risks to civilian aircraft from missile and drone attacks, air defence activity and falling debris.
The disruption also affected schools in the Saudi capital. An email sent to parents on Sunday, seen by AFP, said schools would switch to remote learning for the week under instructions from the education ministry.
It was the second time in less than a month that schools in Riyadh had been told to move lessons online.