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'Not acceptable': Trump after Riyadh airport attack kills 12, says he'll speak with Saudi Crown Prince
Donald Trump said he would soon speak with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the attacks on King Khalid International Airport.
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US President Donald Trump on Saturday condemned the deadly missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He called the attack “not acceptable” after Saudi authorities said at least 12 people were killed and 309 others injured.
Saudi officials have blamed on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he would soon speak with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “What happened in Saudi Arabia’s not acceptable,” Trump said. “I will be speaking” with the crown prince.
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The Trump administration is now considering whether the United States should deepen its military involvement against the Houthis.
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Trump, Rubio condemn attack
Earlier Saturday, Trump said his administration was evaluating whether the US should join Saudi military operations against the Houthis.
“We may. We’re gonna look at it,” Trump told reporters. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision — we move very quickly.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the strike. “The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthis, including today’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that took numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen,” Rubio wrote on social media.
A State Department spokesperson told CBS News that Washington remains in close contact with Saudi officials.
Although Saudi Arabia blamed the Houthis, they had not formally claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike at the time of publication.
However, the Houthis earlier claimed responsibility for attacks this week, Thursday, on the same airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot.
According to Saudi officials, Saturday’s missile struck the complex housing Terminals 3 and 4, causing heavy casualties and 304 injuries.
Those killed included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi citizens and one citizen each from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, in addition to one American.
Several of the injured remain in critical condition.
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Airport shuts down as regional tensions escalate
Saudi authorities suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport following the attack.
An official notice to aviators said flights would remain suspended through midnight.
Flight-tracking platforms reported widespread disruption. According to FlightAware, at least 291 flights were cancelled within 24 hours. Flightradar24 also showed that some flights were diverted to other airports.
Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada advised their citizens to avoid the airport.
The latest strike took place right after a Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive against Houthi positions in Yemen. The Houthis have accused Saudi Arabia of attacking Sanaa International Airport earlier on Saturday.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg described the airport strike as a “dangerous escalation” posing “a grave threat to regional security.”
Earlier this week, the Houthis warned international airlines “for the last time” about operating in Saudi airspace.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also expanded its advisory, warning that missile launches and interception operations increase the risk to civilian aircraft because of possible misidentification.
