By Our Correspondent
The United States is considering joining Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels following an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that wounded several people and disrupted operations. President Donald Trump reportedly said Washington was weighing military involvement, telling reporters on Saturday: “We may. We’re going to look at it.”
The latest incident followed earlier strikes on the airport during the week that killed three people, according to Saudi authorities, and injured several others. The attacks damaged airport facilities and an aircraft, prompting flight cancellations and diversions as Saudi Arabia intensified airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The Houthis had claimed responsibility for earlier attacks, but had not immediately claimed the latest incident. The renewed hostilities have heightened security concerns in the Saudi capital ahead of major international energy events.
Meanwhile, in a separate event, Trump reportedly called for a change of leadership in Ukraine, saying President Volodymyr Zelensky should be replaced by someone willing to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House, according to The Associated Press.
Trump’s remarks followed Zelensky’s criticism of a new US-Russia agreement allowing Russian diesel exports. The Ukrainian leader described the deal as unfair and warned that easing sanctions would provide Moscow with additional revenue to sustain its war against Ukraine. Trump, however, blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for contributing to high US diesel prices and accused Zelensky of failing to secure a peace agreement. The comments have further strained relations between Washington and Kyiv amid continuing efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Credit: Reuters for reporting on the Riyadh airport attack and the Saudi-Houthi conflict; The Associated Press for Trump’s remarks on Zelensky and the US-Russia diesel agreement.