Day 226 | At least two killed in attack on Riyadh airport

The Pentagon has raised the official death toll of US troops in the war against Iran to 21, incorporating two previously uncounted noncombat fatalities into its public records.

Late Friday, the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) was updated to reflect the higher figure, according to reports from The Washington Post and other outlets citing US officials.

The total now includes Maj. Sorffly Davius, 46, an Army National Guard member from Queens, New York, who died of undetermined or medical causes on March 6 in Kuwait while deployed to Camp Buehring, and an unidentified Navy service member who died by suicide in September.

Updated data show 865 service members have been wounded in connection with the operations.

Casualties are tracked in two categories: Operation Epic Fury, which began with US and ‘Israeli’ strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and accounts for 15 deaths and 417 wounded; and a separate “overseas operations” designation covering the period since July 7, with six deaths and 448 wounded.

Officials created the latter category after President Donald Trump declared Operation Epic Fury concluded, even as hostilities continued.

The revision follows September reporting by The Washington Post, based on accounts from multiple US officials, that more service members had died in the Middle East amid the conflict than the Pentagon’s public database then showed.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected that coverage at the time, writing on social media: “This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE. Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”

Democratic lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee criticized the earlier discrepancies.

“There is no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude,” Representatives Adam Smith of Washington and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania said in a joint statement.

“The failure of Secretary Hegseth to immediately take ownership of the problem also does a grave disservice to the men and women putting their lives on the line in service to our country.”

Separately, the military recorded the death of Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, who died in a training accident in Iraq in May.

That fatality is listed under Operation Inherent Resolve, the long-running campaign against Daesh and is not counted among the Iran-related total.

Including it brings the number of US troops who have died in the Middle East since operations against Iran began on Feb. 28 to 22.

The Pentagon has faced repeated scrutiny over its casualty accounting during the conflict, including earlier adjustments that temporarily lowered reported death figures and the introduction of new reporting categories.

A department statement noted changes to the DCAS system, including a “pending adjudication” category for records still under review, but did not directly address the revised death toll in comments to reporters.

Hostilities with Iran have largely been in a lull in recent weeks.

The Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthis claimed carrying out several attacks on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh since Saturday.

“[The operation was carried out] in three phases…It disrupted air traffic at the airport and led to its complete closure,” the Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Saree said.

A “second operation targeted the Shaqdam gas facility belonging to Saudi Aramco in the Eastern Province,” he added.

“The third operation targeted Aramco's Tanajib oil facility in the Eastern Province.

“The fourth operation targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The strike was direct and disrupted air traffic at the airport,” Saree continued.

Saree also claimed an attack against Saudi troops in the Ras al-Arah and Al-Suqiya areas using six ballistic missiles and two drones.

“[It] resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries among their ranks,” he further claimed.

Two new blasts were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to AFP, shortly after Saudi authorities said that an “unidentified projectile” hit Terminal 4 in King Khalid’s International Airport.

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia a day earlier.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrific terrorist attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh," Netanyahu wrote on X, adding that he extended Israel's "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims.

The Saudi-led coalition said air defenses intercepted a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, minutes after reporting that an "unknown projectile” struck Terminal 4, sparking a fire. 

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government said Sunday that an “unknown projectile” struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport, causing a fire that authorities are handling on site.

In statements posted on X, coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki reported the assault on the terminal and noted that a fire resulted from the attack, adding that authorities are responding at the location.

التحالف : اعتداء بمقذوف مجهول على صالة المسافرين رقم 4 بمطار الملك خالد الدولي.

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) October 11, 2026

He added that air defences also "intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile" in the vicinity of the airport.

The announcement follows a missile strike on the same airport on Saturday that killed 12 people and injured 309 others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.

The dead included four Saudi citizens along with nationals from Bangladesh, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

Some of the wounded remain in critical condition.

The coalition has attributed the attacks to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, describing them as a war crime targeting civilian infrastructure.

Airport operations were suspended after the Saturday strike, leading to widespread flight cancellations.

The incident is the deadliest attack inside Saudi Arabia in more than a decade and forms part of a recent surge in strikes on the facility.

Turkey on Sunday condemned a Houthi attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people, slamming the "deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians".

The attack was "a flagrant violation of international law", Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement.

It called for "actions threatening regional security and stability" to stop immediately.

Australia's embassy in Saudi Arabia on Sunday urged its citizens in Riyadh to "shelter in place" after the airport came under attack a day earlier by Iran-backed Houthi forces, killing 12 people and wounding hundreds.

"We advise the Australian community in Riyadh to shelter in place. Stay indoors, follow the advice of local authorities and avoid unnecessary travel," the embassy said in a statement.

A blast was heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday, AFP journalists reported, a day after Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked the city's airport, killing 12 people and wounding hundreds.

AFP journalists heard a powerful blast in central Riyadh but the cause was not immediately clear.

Yemen’s government forces said their aircraft carried out airstrikes targeting Houthi positions at the Al-Maqrami, Al-Jaasha and Al-Sallal hills east of Taiz city.

Iran’s nuclear technology cannot be halted by external threats, political pressure or military attacks, the head of the country’s atomic energy agency has said.

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), described the country’s nuclear advances as a national achievement built through the sustained efforts of Iranian scientists and researchers.

In remarks quoted by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, Eslami criticized US officials for threatening Iranian nuclear facilities, saying their statements reflected “helplessness” in the face of Iran’s scientific progress.

“Overt threats by US officials to use tactical weapons against Iran’s nuclear facilities, delivered right from the United Nations podium, and talk of destroying Iran’s ancient civilization reveal helplessness in the face of a pioneering nation that has historically been the cradle of science, knowledge, and technology,” Eslami said.

Eslami said Iran’s nuclear capabilities were developed domestically through the dedication and sacrifices of young Iranian scientists.

“The localization of nuclear technology is the result of round-the-clock efforts and sacrifices by young Iranian researchers and scientists; an indigenous and national achievement that will never be halted by threats, pressure, or indiscriminate attacks,” he said.

He added that Iran would not surrender to what he described as excessive demands.

US officials have repeatedly warned that Washington could carry out targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear activities fail.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has called for stronger international mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for environmental destruction during armed conflicts, accusing the United States and ‘Israel’ of causing serious environmental risks through attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.

Speaking at the “Ecocide: The Silent War Crime” conference in Tehran on Sunday, Araqchi said environmental destruction during warfare threatens public health, food security, the right to life, international peace and the rights of future generations.

He stressed that the international community must move beyond expressing concern and take concrete steps to prevent and punish environmental damage.

Araqchi said US and ‘Israeli’ military attacks on Iranian oil and energy facilities during the past two wars had created serious environmental risks. He also described attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities as an “unforgivable crime” under international law.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree has warned airlines, shipping companies, workers, and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, saying they could be targeted by Houthi forces.

In a post on X, Saree described Saudi airports and airspace as “exposed to targeting and a theatre for operations by our forces.”

He said airports in Mecca and Medina were exempt from any attacks.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the Houthi attack on Riyadh’s airport, describing it as a violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and a direct threat to its security and stability.

In a statement, the ministry warned that the attack endangered civilians, civilian infrastructure, and civil aviation.

It added that Saudi Arabia’s security is an integral part of Syria’s own security and that of the wider Middle East, expressing solidarity with the kingdom amid heightened regional tensions.

Kuwait Airways has canceled its flights to and from Riyadh on Sunday after Saudi authorities temporarily suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport.

In a statement, the airline said the cancellations resulted from the temporary suspension of airport operations.

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways also reported disruptions to flights to and from Riyadh, saying it would notify affected passengers.

The disruptions come amid heightened security tensions in Saudi Arabia.

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways has announced disruptions to flights to and from Riyadh following a temporary suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport by Saudi authorities.

In a statement, the airline said it would notify affected passengers, emphasizing that the safety and security of passengers, crew, and operations remain its highest priority.

Schools in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, have announced a shift to remote learning for a full week following an attack targeting King Khalid International Airport, amid heightened security tensions in the kingdom.

The decision comes as concerns grow over the security situation and its potential impact on daily life.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong condemnation of recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
• Rubio characterized the strikes as "reprehensible attacks" demonstrating a blatant disregard for innocent human life.
• US reaffirmed its standing with Saudi Arabia and its people, offering condolences to the victims and their families.

The United States issued a stern condemnation of recent attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the Houthi, confirming that an American citizen was killed in the strike targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

In a statement published on X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the ongoing strikes on Saudi territory and highlighted the lethal impact of the aviation hub attack, which claimed numerous innocent lives.

"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life," Rubio stated. "They must stop now."

Reaffirming the strategic partnership between Washington and Riyadh, Rubio emphasized America's firm stance alongside the Kingdom and its citizens during the heightened regional security crisis.

The statement concluded with official condolences extended on behalf of the United States to the families of all victims killed in the strikes.

Houthi-affiliated media outlets reported a missile attack targeting Sahar District in Sa'dah Governorate, located in northern Yemen.

Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Major General Turki Al-Malki, announced that coalition air defense forces intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone over Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.