US, UN and Canada condemn deadly Houthi attack on Saudi Airport that killed 12

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington strongly condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Houthis, whom the United States designates as a terrorist organisation. He said the latest strike on King Khalid International Airport had claimed numerous innocent lives, including that of an American citizen.

“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio wrote on X.

He reaffirmed Washington's support for Riyadh and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “lethal”.

“I am deeply shocked by and strongly condemn Saturday’s lethal attack by the Houthis on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which reportedly killed 12 people and injured hundreds of civilians,” Guterres said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unequivocally denounced the strike, extending his condolences to the families of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

He stressed that there could be no justification for attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also condemned the incident, describing the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly the strike on King Khalid International Airport, as “abhorrent”.

The missile reportedly struck the airport complex housing Terminals 3 and 4, which serve domestic flights. The attack was described as the deadliest strike on Saudi soil in more than a decade.

12 Killed, Hundreds Injured in Riyadh Airport Attack

The victims reportedly included four Saudi nationals and two Bangladeshi nationals, along with citizens of Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan.

A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen for the attack.

The strike was reportedly the third attack targeting the international airport that week and the deadliest attack in a Middle Eastern country since the US-Iran war began in late February.

All flights were diverted from Riyadh on Saturday, while airport operations were temporarily suspended following the strike.

Houthi-Saudi Conflict Escalates

The attack comes amid escalating tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The rebels have launched a series of strikes targeting Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers since a truce in their long-running conflict with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government collapsed in July.

The Iran-backed group also claimed a series of attacks targeting the airport on Thursday, which reportedly killed three people and damaged an aircraft.

Yemen's civil war resumed after a four-year United Nations-brokered truce collapsed in July. Saudi Arabia has led an international military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2015.