Houthi Airport Attack Kills 12 as Trump Pressures Ukraine

Houthi missiles and drones struck terminals 3 and 4 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, killing 12 people and wounding 309. The victims included Saudi citizens and nationals from the United States, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt. The attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in over a decade, forced the suspension of airport operations and the cancellation of nearly 300 flights. The European Union and a Saudi-led coalition condemned the strike as a war crime.

Donald Trump initially signaled that the United States might join Saudi military retaliation, but the White House later declined direct engagement to avoid oil price spikes caused by potential Houthi attacks in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia has requested air defense support from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt as it conducts an offensive to reverse Houthi gains along the Red Sea.

Simultaneously, Trump announced an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to stop strikes on energy infrastructure, which he claimed were driving up global diesel prices. To enforce this, the U.S. government threatened to halt intelligence sharing and the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List procurement system. Trump also rolled back sanctions against Russia and called for the removal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While Ukraine indicated support for the ceasefire, Zelenskyy stated he is awaiting details of the deal and criticized the rollback of sanctions.