President Trump considers US participation in strikes on Houthis in Yemen — Fortune
US President Donald Trump said he is considering the possibility of the United States joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis in Yemen after another attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Fortune reports.
Trump told journalists that the United States had just learned about the new attack and would make a decision quickly. The Houthis, whom the publication describes as backed by Iran, had previously claimed responsibility for this week’s attacks on Riyadh airport, other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure.
Strike on Riyadh airport
According to two regional officials, the airport in the Saudi capital came under attack again on Saturday and was evacuated. One official said that a missile struck the complex housing domestic terminals 3 and 4, leaving a significant number of people injured. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the situation.
Saudi civil aviation authorities reported that airport operations had been suspended and that the number of injured people and the extent of damage were being assessed. According to Flightradar24, flights were diverted to other airports. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Canada advised their citizens to avoid the airport.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Flight cancellations and strengthened air defense
According to FlightAware, at least 225 flights were cancelled at Riyadh airport over the previous 24 hours. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among the carriers that suspended flights to Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next several days.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its recommendations on Saudi Arabia’s airspace, citing the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deep inside the kingdom, including in Riyadh. The agency also warned that missile and drone attacks and attempts to intercept them increase the risk of misidentifying civilian aircraft.
The escalation in attacks came a week after the start of a large-scale offensive by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the Houthis. Regional officials had previously reported that Saudi Arabia was experiencing a shortage of interceptor missiles and had approached France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support. According to them, US assistance included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.
