On Saturday, Trump told reporters gathered at the White House that the United States was open to joining Saudi Arabia in military action against the Houthis, following an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He separately noted that talks with Iran were under way and that no action against the country was planned ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

In a statement attributed to an official declaration, it was conveyed that Iran's economy and military were under strain, that a naval blockade would remain in place, and that roughly 22 million barrels of oil had passed through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night without any Iranian involvement. The statement also indicated that no military action against Iran was planned before the US midterm elections scheduled for 3 November.

In a post published on X, Trump declared that Iran would not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.

King Khalid International Airport came under attack on Saturday, leaving an unspecified number of people with injuries and bringing flight operations to a temporary standstill, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation — a disclosure that Trump then addressed in public remarks. Flight operations at the airport were brought to a halt while GACA, working alongside the relevant authorities, carried out a damage assessment and safety inspections.

A count of those hurt was under way, with further details to follow once that assessment was complete.

Passengers whose travel plans were upended by stoppages and delays at King Khalid International Airport received guidance from the foreign affairs ministry to contact Saudi diplomatic missions in whatever country they happened to be waiting. A notice from the embassy in Riyadh confirmed knowledge of the airport strikes, adding that any travel through the facility by staff holding government positions would require prior authorisation.

Travel guidance from the Foreign Office was revised in the wake of the incident, with the department pointing passengers away from the airport until conditions there were deemed safe and encouraging them to check the status of their flights before setting out. A comparable travel advisory went out from the Canadian diplomatic mission operating in Saudi Arabia.

Two separate incidents at King Khalid International Airport had already left three Saudi citizens dead and a number of others wounded, according to GACA, before the most recent attack took place. Airport infrastructure and a Saudia Airlines plane were among the targets struck in the earlier wave of attacks, according to the authority's account.

A Saudia staff member lost their life and one of the airline's grounded aircraft sustained damage in the incident, with no passengers present on board at the time. Response teams were sent out to check on conditions at the site and confirm that travellers and airport workers had not been put at risk, officials indicated.