Trump Warns Houthis After Deadly Strikes Shut Riyadh Airport
US President Donald Trump said Yemen's Houthis were "misbehaving very badly" on Monday after Houthi attacks on Saudi airports killed at least 18 people and shut Riyadh's main airport.
The comments were reported in live updates on October 13, 2026, after strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Dammam's King Fahd International Airport, according to Al Jazeera. Saudi Arabia extended the suspension at King Khalid until Saturday after repeated attacks. The death toll stands at no fewer than 18.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said forces intercepted and destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushait airbase. Ballistic missiles are fast, long-range rockets that can strike distant targets. The coalition also reported more incoming drones and missiles after the airport attacks, according to Reuters.
The disruption to flying is wide. All flights were diverted from Riyadh on Saturday and operations were suspended, in reporting dated October 11 from Reuters. Riyadh airport stayed shut after a Saturday missile strike on its departure terminal. That airport serves a city of 8 million people.
Airlines have pulled back step by step. A Mumbai-based budget carrier suspended flights to Jeddah and Riyadh until October 13. Other airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabia until later in October after the deadly strikes, with skies over Riyadh described as largely empty on October 12, according to Reuters.
Trump spoke to reporters after being asked what he planned to do about the Houthis. He gave no specific answer about planned action, according to Anadolu Agency. He confirmed a phone call with the Saudi crown prince around the same time, according to Fox News.
The broader context here is a warning without a plan, at least in public. That language gives Washington room to decide its next step. It leaves Riyadh, airlines and insurers to judge risk by what has happened on the ground, not by what was promised. A capital airport closed for days, plus threats to Dammam and Khamis Mushait, stops schedules even when defenses block some missiles.
Looking at what may come next, three factors will shape whether tensions rise or hold. First is whether King Khalid reopens Saturday as planned or the closure slips again. Second is how often the Houthis launch missiles and drones and how often the coalition stops them. Third is whether Trump's words turn into orders or stay as criticism while talks continue through Saudi Arabia. The lack of a stated US response is information in itself. It points to decisions still being weighed, or plans kept private.
