The Junior Daily · ages 9–11 · 2026-10-10
Attacks Hit a Big Airport in Saudi Arabia
A war next door in Yemen has reached Saudi Arabia's capital. The United States may join in.
Saudi Arabia is a large desert country in the Middle East. On Saturday, an attack hit the main airport in its capital city, Riyadh. Saudi officials said 12 people were killed and 309 were hurt, including travellers from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan and the United States.
The likely attackers are the Houthis, a rebel group that controls the north of Yemen, Saudi Arabia's neighbour to the south. The Houthis get help from Iran. Two days earlier, they said they fired a missile at the same airport.
The Houthis say they are hitting back. Since October 4, Yemen's government, with Saudi help, has been fighting to take back Houthi land. Asked if America would join the fight, President Trump said, "We may."
Why it matters
Yemen sits beside a narrow sea passage called a strait. Ships carrying oil and goods squeeze through it every day. When fighting comes close to a passage like this, ships may have to slow down or go the long way, and fuel and goods can cost more far away.
BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT. Ships sailing between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean must pass Yemen.