US President Donald Trump on 11 October described the deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport as 'terrible' and confirmed he would speak to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Washington formally condemned an attack that killed 12 people, including one American citizen. The strike also left 309 people injured, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

What Trump Said at Joint Base Andrews

Speaking to reporters upon his return from a campaign rally in Tennessee, Trump was blunt about the attack. 'I think it's terrible,' he said when asked for his reaction. Pressed on a potential US response, he offered only a cryptic signal: 'Well, you're gonna find out, see, but I think it's terrible.'

Trump confirmed he had not yet spoken to the Crown Prince during the flight back but said the conversation was imminent. 'I will be speaking to him and what happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable,' he said. He also acknowledged ongoing US communication with the Houthis, adding, 'We have communication with the Houthis and we'll see what happens.'

On whether the US might join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, Trump said he was evaluating the option. 'We may. We're going to look at it,' he reportedly said.

Victims and the Scale of the Attack

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed 12 fatalities and 309 injuries. Among the dead were four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. No Indian national was listed among the dead. The authority did not formally assign blame for the strike.

Saudi-led coalition officials and a diplomatic source attributed the attack to Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on the same airport this week but had not immediately claimed Saturday's attack.

US Condemnation and Secretary Rubio's Statement

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a sharp condemnation, stating that the United States 'strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthis, including today's strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that took numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen.' In a post on X, Rubio added: 'These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now.'

Global Reaction and India's Stake

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'deeply shocked by' the attack, stressing that 'attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law' and calling for an immediate halt. India's Ministry of External Affairs also condemned the Houthi strikes on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport, stating that 'the targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable.'

India has a direct and significant stake in the escalating situation: the Indian community in Saudi Arabia numbers approximately 2.74 million, making it one of the largest diaspora populations in the Kingdom.

Separately, when asked at Joint Base Andrews why he had not declared victory against Iran, Trump said, 'We could leave right now, but we have to guarantee that they can't have it in the future,' referring to a nuclear weapon. At the Tennessee rally earlier, he had said Iran was 'sort of calming down' but warned of possible provocations ahead of upcoming elections. All eyes are now on the Trump-MBS call and whether Washington will escalate its military posture in the Red Sea region.