Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have launched a major wave of drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting the Saudi capital of Riyadh and energy facilities along the Red Sea coast. The escalation triggered air raid sirens in the Saudi capital on Saturday for the first time since the group intensified its cross-border offensive in July.
Saudi authorities confirmed they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh on Saturday, though they did not provide details on further strikes or casualties. Despite the interception, a massive column of black smoke was seen rising from fuel tanks near King Khalid International Airport, where international flights faced temporary disruptions, delays, and cancellations according to flight tracking platforms.
On-the-ground observers reported seeing firefighters battling flames on a burnt-out fuel tank belonging to the state-run oil giant Aramco.
The Saudi Civil Defence had sent out emergency phone alerts overnight warning residents of potential danger across Riyadh and other regions before issuing an all-clear on Saturday morning. Residents in northern Riyadh reported hearing loud explosions that shook windows. "I heard the alarm, then my windows shook," said one 27-year-old resident. "It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this."
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya al-Sarea claimed responsibility for the operation in an online statement, asserting that a "large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones" were deployed to strike "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in the coastal city of Yanbu.
Sarea stated the attacks were "in response to the Saudi enemy's criminal attempts" to target the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital of Sanaa, accusing Saudi Arabia of conducting 300 airstrikes across Yemen over the past week.
The Houthis also claimed to have downed a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen earlier in the week, a claim supported by verified video footage of the wreckage.
The Saudi-led coalition stated that its air defenses successfully thwarted separate "hostile attempts to target civilians" in the cities of Bish, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu. Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground in Yemen has intensified. Unconfirmed reports from military sources on both sides of the civil war indicated that clashes between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed government troops claimed 48 lives on Saturday.
The Houthis acknowledged losing 31 fighters, while government sources reported 17 of their soldiers were killed. The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations body, recently reported that the number of people displaced by the latest surge in fighting has surpassed 104,796.
The current escalation follows the Houthis' recent capture of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, which sit along a crucial Red Sea shipping route used by Gulf nations to export oil to Asia and Europe. The Houthi command stated that their naval operations are retaliation for the ongoing Saudi blockade of ports and airports in northern Yemen.
Saudi vessels have increasingly relied on this Red Sea corridor for oil exports since the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Highlighting the economic uncertainty, investment banking giant JP Morgan issued a rare note to investors, stating it is struggling to predict how oil prices will react to the conflict, admitting they "simply don't know how to model the endgame."
In response to the volatile security situation, the United States State Department issued an urgent warning to American citizens in the Middle East, advising them to "exercise vigilance and be prepared for potential flight cancellations and other travel disruptions." The statement noted that "Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.
This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly," and urged Americans to "seriously reconsider travel to and through the region."
Residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they had heard what sounded like a round of explosions echoing through the city after the alerts.
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