Houthis Claim Missile and Drone Strikes on Riyadh and Aramco Facility in Yanbu

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have struck sensitive sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu with ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday, hours after Saudi Arabia issued its first aerial alerts in the capital since fighting with the group escalated. [4]

Houthi Claims of Attacks on Saudi Targets

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi organization claimed to have struck a Saudi Aramco facility in the port city of Yanbu and “sensitive” sites in the Saudi capital of Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday. [4] The group stated that the strikes targeted sensitive sites in Riyadh along with Aramco facilities in Yanbu. [1] Reuters video and photographs showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area near the airport, with flames visible rising from behind what appeared to be fuel tanks. [4] The Houthis described the operation as involving both ballistic missiles and drones aimed at these locations. [4] No immediate Saudi confirmation of the Houthis' claims of attacks was provided by authorities. [4]

Saudi Aerial Alerts and Overnight Warnings

Saudi Arabia warned of a "hostile aerial threat" and issued a string of emergency alerts across the kingdom overnight, including the first alert in its capital since fighting escalated with Iran-backed rebels in neighboring Yemen. [3] The message received by Riyadh residents stated that the area is under a hostile aerial threat and urged people to stay indoors. [5] Although some alerts had been issued in Riyadh this year after the start of the US-Iran war, these were the first since the escalation began with the Houthis in July. [4] Saudi authorities issued an air raid alert that was the first since fighting in neighboring Yemen intensified this month. [5] The disruption follows an overnight air raid alert issued by Saudi authorities, the first since fighting in neighboring Yemen intensified this month. [5]

Black smoke rises from Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu after Houthi missile and drone strike claim. — Source: jerusalempost

Smoke, Flames and Airport Disruptions in Riyadh

Smoke and flames rose near Riyadh’s international airport, as a flight tracking Web site reported cancelations and delays at the hub, hours after Saudi Arabian authorities issued an air raid alert. [5] Firefighters could be seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burnt-out fuel tank emblazoned with the logo of the Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco near the airport. [5] FlightRadar24 reported “major problems” at the Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, listing it under its maximum disruption index. [5] Residents said on condition of anonymity that they heard what sounded like another round of explosions echoing through parts of the capital. [5] In the direction of the airport, residents saw black smoke and fire. [5] Journalists heard two explosions, before the Saudi Arabian civil defense agency lifted the alert half an hour later. [5] One resident stated, “I heard the alarm, then my windows shook. It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this.” [5] Another resident described the attack as “terrifying” and noted, “I was extremely anxious — especially because, unlike previous times, the ‘all-clear’ signal didn’t come right away.” [5]

Context of Retaliation and Recent Escalation

The Houthis said the strikes came as a response to an attack in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. [4] The incident comes days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca on Wednesday, denouncing it as a “cowardly terrorist attack” on Islam’s holy city, which welcomes millions of pilgrims each year. [5] The Iran-backed Houthis strongly denied the accusation, calling it a “worn-out lie.” [5] This is the first time since Yemen’s long-standing civil war resumed that it has threatened the Saudi Arabian capital, further shaking a global economy already under pressure by nearly seven months of war between the US and Iran. [5] A man on Friday in Hodeida, Yemen, holds up the Koran as supporters of Houthi authorities march during a protest against Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen and its accusation that the Houthis fired at the holy city of Mecca. [5]

Absence of Saudi Confirmation

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government's media office in response to Reuters questions about the smoke and the overnight alerts, nor was there any immediate Saudi confirmation of the Houthis' claims of attacks. [4] Saudi Arabia has not commented on the threat mentioned in the warnings sent overnight to residents of several regions and has not identified where it originated from. [5] The Houthis claim attacks were retaliation for strikes on Yemen, yet Saudi authorities provided no verification of the incidents or the source of the alerts. [4]

What to watch next: Further statements from Saudi authorities on the overnight alerts and any response to the Houthi claims of strikes on sensitive sites and Aramco facilities remain to be seen, alongside continued flight tracking updates from sites such as FlightRadar24.