President Donald Trump signaled on Tuesday that he might seek military assistance from Turkey in response to recent attacks by the Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi militant group against Saudi Arabia. Speaking to reporters, Trump indicated he could ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to take action against the Houthis, noting his respect for Erdoğan and expressing confidence that the Turkish leader would cooperate.
The comments follow a deadly missile and drone strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh over the weekend, which killed 12 people, including one American citizen, and injured more than 300 others. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, with a spokesperson describing airports as “a theater of operations” for their forces and blaming Saudi Arabia for any failure to intercept the assault.
In the days after the airport strike, the Houthis reportedly launched additional missile and drone attacks targeting other locations in Saudi Arabia. These developments have escalated tensions in the region, prompting discussions in Washington about possible retaliatory measures. Trump conveyed his condemnation of the Riyadh attack as “terrible,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Houthis as “terrorists” and stated that the United States “strongly condemns” their actions.
Despite the recent surge in attacks, Trump and his administration have so far refrained from military retaliation against the Houthis. This restraint stems from a cease-fire agreement established in May 2025, which temporarily halted Houthi strikes on American vessels in the Red Sea. The administration’s considerations of retaliation and potential collaboration with Turkey mark a possible shift in policy as security concerns in the Gulf region intensify.
The situation underscores ongoing instability in Yemen and the wider Middle East, where proxy conflicts and regional rivalries continue to fuel violence. The Houthis, supported by Iran, have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with missile and drone attacks in recent years, prompting responses from Riyadh and its allies. Turkey’s potential involvement, as suggested by President Trump, could add another dimension to the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.