Trump Says He Is "Considering" Intervening to Strike Houthis — While U.S. Military Has Already Been Sustaining Intelligence and Target Identification

Riyadh International Airport, the capital of Saudi Arabia, came under attack again this Saturday — a missile struck the area housing Terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, injuring several people. As reported by The Associated Press and republished by NPR, Saudi civil aviation authorities have announced the suspension of airport operations until midnight, with casualties and damage still being assessed.

This is one in a series of consecutive strikes on Saudi Arabia's civil aviation infrastructure. The Houthis claimed earlier this week responsibility for an attack on King Khalid International Airport, killing three Saudis, including one pilot. Two anonymous regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis' Thursday attack on Riyadh airport destroyed three aircraft; Saudi Arabia's national airline confirmed that one of its unoccupied aircraft on the ground was damaged.

U.S. President Trump, responding to whether the United States would intervene militarily against Yemen's Houthis, said: "We may get involved. We'll study it. We just learned about the most recent attacks. So we'll make a decision. We move very fast."

Yet the phrasing of "considering intervention" stands in clear contrast with the actual role the United States is playing on the battlefield. According to reports by The Associated Press and republished by NPR, U.S. assistance to the Saudi-led coalition "includes intelligence sharing, target identification, and planning against the Houthis' latest operations." Whether or not Trump ultimately announces direct participation, the United States has been playing a role in the critical link of the operational chain — intelligence and target acquisition — and the posture of "studying it" does not match the reality.

Saudi Arabia itself is facing pressure on its armaments. According to a report by The Associated Press last month and republished by NPR, Saudi officials revealed that their air defense interceptor missile reserves are running low, and they have asked France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Egypt to deploy air defense support to the region. One official added that U.S. stockpiles themselves have also been depleted in the war with Iran. The cost of Saudi Arabia's years-long path of militarization, as well as the spreading pattern of more countries sharing the burden of air defense, can be seen from this.

Civil aviation and global markets are bearing a direct impact. Data from the flight tracking website FlightAware shows that at least 291 flights at Riyadh airport were canceled in the past 24 hours. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, the Lufthansa Group, and Pakistan International Airlines had all announced the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada have warned their citizens to avoid traveling to the airport. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, warning that the Houthis now have the ability to hit targets deep within Saudi territory and are "more focused on aviation infrastructure." The agency noted that missile and drone attacks and intercept operations "increase the risk of misidentifying civil aircraft" — a clear signal that civil aviation is being drawn into the war zone.

As the world's largest oil exporter, the attacks have shaken markets and the region. Yet just hours earlier, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy was still promoting a major international energy conference scheduled to open on Sunday in Riyadh, with the tension between diplomatic and commercial agendas and the reality of conflict on full display.

As military operations escalate, Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that its foreign minister spoke by phone with Oman's foreign minister, emphasizing "support for easing regional tensions through diplomatic solutions." Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has played a mediating role in the region in the past. Yet this diplomatic statement runs alongside concurrently escalating military operations — negotiations have not yet truly reversed the logic of conflict.

The Houthis issued a "final" warning this week to global carriers not to operate in Saudi airspace, calling Saudi airspace a battleground for military operations. The Houthis had previously told The Associated Press that, in retaliation for the Saudi-imposed blockade against them, they only target Saudi shipping — but external concerns about the scope of their operations have not dissipated. After the Gaza war began, the Houthis attacked other vessels in solidarity with Palestinians, and subsequent U.S. airstrikes significantly curbed such attacks.

Saudi authorities this week warned the public that "filming, publishing, or sharing information about the locations of intercepted missiles and drones and their impact points will expose you to legal liability." This information control directive, together with the on-site situation of reinforced security at the airport, the closure of various entrances, and dimmed lighting, constitutes an additional obstacle to public scrutiny of the conflict.

Fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated. The Saudi-led coalition is providing support for airstrikes, attempting to reverse the Houthis' recent advances along the Red Sea coast. These advances have given the Houthis better surveillance capability over shipping on a critical alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz — where Iran itself has been attacking ships.