A missile strike on Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport has left at least 12 people dead, including an American, and raised the prospect of direct U.S. military action in Yemen. The attack hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.

The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed responsibility, and President Donald Trump says he is weighing whether to join Saudi-led strikes against the group. Such a move would deepen American involvement in a widening regional war.

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From Breitbart:

Iran-backed Houthi terrorists killed at least 12 people, including an American, and wounded more than 300 others in a missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs joining Saudi-led military strikes against the group.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed 12 fatalities and 309 injuries, including several people in critical condition. The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Sudanese, and Palestinian.

“The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthis, including today’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that took numerous innocent lives, including an American citizen,” Rubio wrote Saturday. “These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now. We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families.”

Asked outside the White House whether he would join the strikes, Trump said he would look at it and decide quickly. He has announced no decision. His comments came before Saudi officials confirmed that an American was among the dead. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh urged Americans to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia’s threat-warning system gave no advance public alert. The Houthis said they had shut down the airport. They had earlier declared Saudi airspace a military zone. A Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, called the attack a terrorist act and a war crime and promised a firm response.

It was the third strike on the airport this week. Earlier attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha killed three civilians, and a Thursday strike killed three Saudi citizens, including an airline pilot. The Wall Street Journal called Saturday’s attack the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The violence followed Operation Yemen Dawn, a counteroffensive by Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Saudi-led coalition joined the next day in Hodeidah province. The fighting centers on territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key Red Sea shipping route. Control of parts of that area is disputed.

The United States already gives Saudi Arabia intelligence, targeting help, and planning support. It also helps coordinate Israeli intelligence sharing through U.S. Central Command. Direct American strikes would be a significant step beyond that.

This attack matters to intercessors because it shows evil at work and shows what is at stake for America. Iran-backed terrorists targeted a crowded airport full of ordinary travelers, and an American citizen was among the dead. That is why we pray, and why we pray for more than peace in general. Scripture says government “does not bear the sword in vain” and is God’s servant to punish evildoers (Romans 13:4). So the decision in front of President Donald Trump is a serious moral one. Acting too late can leave the innocent unprotected, and acting without wisdom can widen a war. Intercessors can stand in that gap. Pray that the president and his advisers receive clear counsel from God and the courage to defend innocent life, and that America stays strong and stands with its allies against terror. Pray for the families who lost loved ones, for the wounded, and for Americans and troops in the region. Pray that Iran’s hand behind this violence is exposed and stopped. The Bible tells us to rescue those being led away to death (Proverbs 24:11), and 1 Timothy 2:1-2 tells us to pray for those in authority. Our prayers can do both.

Let’s pray for the families of those killed, including the American family, and for the wounded still in critical condition. Let’s pray for President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and our military leaders to seek wisdom. Let’s pray for protection for civilians, travelers, and Americans in the region. Let’s pray for an end to the violence and for peace to prevail.

How are you praying about this issue? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.

(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: ugurhan from Getty Images Signature via Canva).