An American among the 12 killed in Houthi attack on Riyadh Airport: Trump calls the act 'unacceptable'

A U.S. citizen lost his life along with 11 others in an attack by Houthi terrorists on the Riyadh airport. The bombing, which left another 309 people injured, was described by Donald Trump as "unacceptable" and has been condemned by leaders of the European Union and the UN.

"Four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Argentine, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese" are among the dead, the civil aviation authority said.

The U.S. president, who had announced that he would decide "very soon" whether to join the Saudis in the conflict against the Houthis, allies of Iran, was visibly upset by what had happened. Trump announced that he would speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "I'll speak with him, and what happened in Saudi Arabia is unacceptable. Look, the Saudis are good fighters, but I think the attack was a terrible thing."

This assessment was shared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X, along with a stern warning to the Houthis:

"The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks carried out against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Houthi terrorists, including today's attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which has claimed numerous innocent lives, including that of a U.S. citizen.

These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the lives of innocent civilians. They must cease immediately. We stand in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people, and we express our condolences to the victims and their families."

EU warns of "a dangerous escalation"

The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, described the attack as a "dangerous escalation" and said the terrorist group must halt operations against civilian targets.

"These attacks by Iranian-backed groups are pushing the region into a spiral of violence. They destabilize infrastructure crucial to global transportation and energy supplies, sending shockwaves around the world," Von der Leyen said.

"These deadly attacks on civilians must stop immediately," she insisted, adding that the EU "stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia."

The UN demands an "immediate" ceasefire to Houthi attacks

For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply shocked" by Saturday's attack.

"Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law. These attacks must cease immediately," Guterres said in a statement.