Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12 as U.S. Strikes Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman

An attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured 309 on Saturday, while U.S. forces disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, widening geopolitical risks across a region critical to energy and global markets.

The dead included one American, four Saudi citizens and nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. The strike hit the domestic-terminal area at the airport, and some of the injured were in critical condition.

A Saudi-led coalition attributed the attack to the Houthis. The group did not immediately claim responsibility, although a Houthi media official said on X that the airport had been “closed.” The airport was expected to remain shut until 9 p.m. local time Saturday, or 2 p.m. ET (18:00 UTC).

American aircraft used precision munitions to hit the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun. The United States said the vessel had ignored warnings and attempted to cross a maritime blockade of Iran. The vessel had departed an Iranian port and lost propulsion; no crew members were hurt.

Trump said the United States “may” join Saudi airstrikes against the Houthis. The developments put aviation, shipping and energy infrastructure at the center of immediate market-risk concerns.