Saudi probe examines how missiles and drones reached Riyadh airport

President Donald Trump has said the United States may join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, a possible escalation covered in an earlier account of his statement. The AP report says U.S. support had included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning, but not strikes against the Houthis.

Investigators are examining interception and warning

The officials described the sequence of drones followed by missiles as an initial account of the attack. Their description places both interception and warning systems under scrutiny: the inquiry is examining how the weapons got through and why air defense systems did not provide earlier warning.

AP reported that the Houthis possess ballistic missiles and systems whose warheads can change direction during flight. Those systems can challenge Patriot interceptors and other Saudi defenses, the AP account said.

The reported flight distance and sequence offer a preliminary picture of the attack, while the inquiry continues to examine the defense response. For people at a public airport, the warning question is as consequential as whether an interceptor can stop an incoming weapon: passengers and workers need time to reach safety.

A Riyadh worker was among the dead

Mahmoud Al-Barqawi, 33, was a Jordanian café worker in Riyadh and a father of two. Mourners attended his funeral in Amman on Monday. His father, Hasan al-Barqawi, spoke to AP after the funeral about the family’s grief.

His death was one among at least 13 in the airport strike. More than 300 people were wounded, making the failure under investigation a matter of civilian safety as well as military performance.

The airport was struck again on Sunday, when a projectile hit a terminal and Saudi authorities reported injuries, AP reported. That incident was separate from the Oct. 10 attack and its casualty toll.

Riyadh airport remained shut for safety checks

Saudi authorities extended the airport shutdown on Monday for checks on safety and operational readiness, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. The coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh that day, while Saudi civil defense said the immediate danger had passed.

In a separate account of Monday’s events, a coalition spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat that a projectile hit Terminal 4 and air defenses intercepted a cruise missile nearby. The Houthis also claimed they had targeted King Khalid Airport and warned airlines that Saudi airports were unsafe, AP reported.

The interception claims describe later events, not the Oct. 10 strike under investigation. They did not stop the airport from remaining closed while authorities carried out readiness checks.

At the World Petroleum Energy Congress in Riyadh on Monday, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman said the response to recent events must be serious. The inquiry’s preliminary account leaves investigators examining two linked protections for the people who use the airport: stopping incoming weapons and providing warning in time.