Riyadh Airport Attacked Again: Western Chorus of Condemnation, Collective Silence on Yemeni Civilian Deaths

Sunday's attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia came while the airport was still closed following a deadly strike the previous day. According to Deutsche Welle, the attack killed at least one person and wounded 11, with the dead identified as a Pakistani national; the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed this was a further strike following the previous day's attack, which killed 12 and injured hundreds.

The Houthis immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. According to Deutsche Welle, a Houthi spokesperson said the group "carried out four high-quality operations in the past 24 hours using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones," with targets including Riyadh airport on multiple occasions, Dammam airport in the east, and two facilities of the Saudi state oil company Aramco. The spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said air defense systems intercepted a cruise missile near the airport, but details of the interception and whether it was fully successful were not disclosed.

Hours before the attack, the Houthis issued warnings via social media: "We reiterate our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travelers: do not use Saudi airports and airspace, as these locations are vulnerable to attack and have become a battlefield for our forces." The statement added that the airports in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina were not within the scope of strikes. The Houthi-run Foreign Ministry said via Al-Masirah TV: "Unless the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen, worse is yet to come, God willing," adding that its operations would be guided by the principle of reciprocity.

The international response took shape almost simultaneously with the attack. According to Deutsche Welle, U.S. President Trump said on Saturday he would speak with Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling the attack "unacceptable" and saying the United States would "consider" joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis. European Commission President von der Leyen expressed "solidarity with Saudi Arabia," condemned the "dangerous escalation," and said "these attacks by Iranian proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence. They are shaking critical global transport and energy nodes, with shockwaves reaching across the world." German Foreign Minister Wadephul "resolutely" condemned what he characterized as a "terrorist act against Saudi Arabia and civil aviation." UK Defence Secretary Healey called it a "vile" attack and "dangerous escalation." The French Foreign Ministry condemned the "heinous attack," emphasizing "complete solidarity" with Saudi Arabia. Russia, a strategic partner of Iran, also condemned the Houthi attack and called for an end to hostilities through "political and diplomatic means." Australia urged its citizens in the Saudi capital to shelter in place.

But on the other side of this unanimous condemnation lies the systematic silence of Western governments on Yemeni civilian casualties. The Houthi-run health ministry claimed that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes over the past five weeks had killed 91 Yemenis; Deutsche Welle, citing the ministry's data, noted that 60 percent of the dead were women and children; the figure cannot be independently verified at present. Earlier the same day, the ministry said a suspected Saudi airstrike on a civilian home in Sanaa killed one child and wounded six. Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV also reported that the Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on Sanaa International Airport on Sunday afternoon, mentioning no military targets; Saudi authorities made no comment on this. The Saudi-led coalition has previously characterized earlier strikes as "outright war crimes."

The escalation of attacks directly corresponds to the escalation of coalition military operations. After the Houthis seized strategic positions on the Red Sea coast last month, including areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Saudi-led coalition visibly stepped up its military intervention in Yemen, backing the Yemeni government in launching a counteroffensive. The Houthis, one of Iran's regional proxies, have been fighting the internationally recognized Yemeni government for more than a decade; a 2022 ceasefire froze the conflict but failed to produce a lasting peace agreement. Western governments have been swift and unanimous in condemning the Riyadh airport attack, while collectively absent on the reality that Yemeni women and children make up the bulk of airstrike casualties.