Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a large-scale attack using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones against the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and strategic energy facilities along the Red Sea coast.
Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Houthi forces, confirmed in an online statement that they had targeted sensitive sites in Riyadh and facilities belonging to the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, in the Yanbu area on the Red Sea coast.
Saree stated that this operation was a forceful response to the more than 300 airstrikes launched by Saudi Arabia against Yemen over the past week.
It is worth noting that the Houthis had also claimed to have shot down a Saudi warplane just a few days earlier.
This statement comes at a time when thick clouds of black smoke and flames were seen rising from an Aramco oil depot near Riyadh’s international airport; video footage of the incident has also surfaced.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, flight schedules at King Khalid International Airport were severely disrupted following the explosions and air alerts, resulting in numerous cancellations and delays.
AFP correspondents at the scene observed firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze at a destroyed Aramco fuel tank.
A 27-year-old resident of Riyadh, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “I heard the alert sound at midnight, and then powerful explosions shook the windows of my house. It was a terrifying scene—something we had not expected at all.” According to military sources, another 48 people—including 31 Houthis and 17 government personnel—were killed on Saturday in ground clashes between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed government army.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, the number of Yemeni civilians displaced due to the recent intensification of fighting has exceeded 104,000.
Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—precipitated by tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran—Saudi Arabia had been relying on the Red Sea route for its oil exports.
However, Houthi control over the port of Mocha and commercial shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz has raised the risk of severe instability in global oil prices.
In a note to investors, the prominent investment bank JPMorgan stated that it is currently impossible to assess the impact of the ongoing conflict on the global market.
Saudi authorities have not yet issued an official response regarding the Houthis’ claims or the reported details of the casualties.
