Miliband and Rubio Discuss Holding Iran to Account and Supporting Ukraine After Deadly Riyadh Attack

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he had a high-stakes phone conversation with his US counterpart following the deadly attacks on Riyadh Airport. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed.

'Today I spoke with Secretary Rubio,' Miliband said on social media. 'I offered condolences for the US citizen killed in the King Khalid Airport attack, which the UK condemns. We discussed ending Iran's aggression, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.'

Airport Shutdown

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is due to remain closed until 21:00 GMT on Saturday, 17 October 2026, as authorities conduct safety checks and assess operational readiness following successive missile attacks.

The international airport was targeted in a series of attacks over the weekend. On Saturday, 10 October 2026, at least 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured in an attack on the airport complex.

The following day, a Pakistani resident was killed and 11 others were injured when another projectile struck the airport complex. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Rubio condemned the attacks on social media. 'These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,' he said. 'We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families.'

Rubio and Miliband Conversation

While Miliband did not disclose further details about his conversation with Rubio, he said it focused on Iran and Ukraine. The US and the UK have been working closely on matters related to Iran, although the two governments have differed over the scope of military operations.

The UK government has permitted the US to use strategic bases such as RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for specified defensive operations related to the conflict, while declining to authorise their use for the broader US offensive campaign against Iran.

US President Donald Trump has also commented on the investigation into the incident near RAF Fairford last month, in which five British men were arrested and later released on bail. Police recovered petrol from three vans but found no improvised explosive devices. The investigation remains ongoing.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the RAF Fairford incident was highly likely to have been co-ordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, the Iranian Embassy in the UK has denied Tehran's involvement in the incident.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat also warned that the Riyadh airport attack highlighted the threat posed by Iran and its regional activities.

'This attack on Riyadh airport is a clear warning that Iranian terror is a threat spreading in the region. We need to make clear our commitment to standing with our partners and protecting British citizens around the world,' Tugendhat said.

Global Leaders Stand With Saudi Arabia

Diplomats from around the world took to social media to condemn the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Among them were foreign ministers Beate Meinl-Reisinger (Austria), Margus Tsahkna (Estonia), Johann Wadephul (Germany), Helen McEntee (Ireland), Tom Berendsen (the Netherlands) and Winston Peters (New Zealand).

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also condemned the attacks: 'There can be no justification for attacks on civilian infrastructure. No political or military objective can justify the deliberate targeting of innocent people.'