ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Saturday did not rule out Washington joining Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, following a deadly missile attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed at least 12 people, including an American citizen, and injured hundreds.
"We may,” Trump said when asked by reporters outside the White House whether he had decided to join Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Houthis. “We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."
His remarks came after a missile attack struck King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, killing at least 12 people.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said the dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
The US-led coalition blamed the Houthis for the attack, but the group has not claimed responsibility.
The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and large parts of the country's north, have previously launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, including airports and energy facilities.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack, confirming that an American citizen was among those killed.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” he said in a post on X, adding that Washington stands with its Gulf ally.
Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war since March 2015, when it launched a military intervention at the head of an Arab coalition to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who had seized Sanaa the previous year.
The conflict has devastated Yemen, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and leaving millions dependent on humanitarian assistance.
A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 brought a significant reduction in cross-border attacks and large-scale fighting. Although the truce formally expired six months later, hostilities remained at a lower level for an extended period.
The Houthis have also targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, prompting US and British strikes against Houthi military positions in Yemen.
Washington has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying weapons and military assistance to the Houthis, allegations Tehran has denied.
