Donald Trump cut short his stay at Camp David as tensions surged across the Middle East, following claims by Iran-backed Houthi rebels that they had launched a barrage of missiles at “sensitive” targets in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities said Saturday that the Yemeni group had attempted to strike the capital with a ballistic missile. Video footage appeared to show flames and thick smoke rising above the area around Riyadh airport.
The president had been expected to remain at the Maryland retreat throughout the weekend before returning to the White House on Sunday.
Instead, Marine One touched down on the White House South Lawn at 7:57 p.m. local time Saturday.
Trump’s aides Natalie Harp and Walt Nauta were among those seen leaving the helicopter and walking toward the White House.
The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment.
The U.S. State Department said the Houthis had “engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.”
“This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly. Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region,” the department said.
Donald Trump cut short his Camp David visit as Middle East tensions intensified after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for missile strikes on “sensitive” sites in Saudi Arabia
Saudi officials said Saturday that the Yemeni rebels attempted to target Riyadh with a ballistic missile, while video showed smoke and flames near the capital’s airport
The State Department also urged Americans already in the region to “exercise heightened vigilance” and prepare for possible flight cancellations and other travel disruptions.
The reported strikes marked the first Houthi attacks aimed at Riyadh since fighting intensified, potentially opening a new front in the wider conflict involving Iran.
The Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis issued its account well after the early-morning missile launch, saying the incoming weapon had been intercepted.
Residents across Riyadh reported hearing an explosion, while others later described seeing a column of smoke near the airport.
No casualties or damage were reported.
The coalition said the Houthis had also attempted to hit civilian infrastructure in Yanbu, the Red Sea port where a major Saudi oil pipeline terminates, as well as Taif, Baysh and Farasan. It said the attacks were thwarted but provided no additional details.
Earlier, the Houthis claimed—without presenting evidence—that they had struck “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, allegedly causing “massive fires.”
The escalation near another crucial global shipping route has added fresh uncertainty for financial markets.
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President Donald Trump steps off Marine One after arriving at the Ellipse outside the White House on Saturday
Supporters of Yemen’s Houthi rebels chant during a rally backing the group and protesting Saudi Arabia’s accusation that the Houthis targeted Islam’s holiest site, Mecca
Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said a ‘large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones’ had been used to target sites in Riyadh as well as facilities belonging to state oil giant Aramco in Yanbu.
He said the strikes were carried out ‘in response to the Saudi enemy’s criminal attempts’ to target the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
The claims came hours after flames and a huge plume of black smoke were seen near Riyadh’s main international airport.
Footage showed thick smoke billowing into the sky near King Khalid International Airport after booms were heard across the Saudi capital.
Saudi Arabia had earlier warned of a ‘hostile aerial threat’, issuing a string of emergency alerts across the kingdom late Friday and early Saturday.
Recent days have seen one escalation after another. On Thursday, the first civilian casualty was reported as the Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia.
And on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had tried to attack Mecca, Islam´s holiest city, with a drone that it said was intercepted, calling the security of the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad a ‘red line.’ The Houthis fiercely denied the accusation.
The United States, a close Saudi ally, has signaled it has no current fight with the Houthis.
White House pool reporters noted Trump landed in Marine One on the White House South Lawn at 7:57pm local time Saturday night
Aides Natalie Harp (pictured right) and Walt Nauta (pictured left) were seen among a group walking off the helicopter toward the White House
Meanwhile, fighting has surged inside Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government.
The rebels raced down the country’s Red Sea coast over a week ago, seizing the key port city of Mokha and islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.
That has improved their surveillance of passing ships, though the Houthis have said they are only targeting Saudi ones.
The fighting in Yemen also marks a return to a devastating civil war after four years of relative calm.