Yemen’s Houthi movement launched ballistic missiles and drones at Riyadh and critical oil facilities in Yanbu on Saturday, marking the first direct targeting of the Saudi capital since a renewed escalation in fighting and opening a volatile new front connected to the broader Iran war.
Riyadh
The dawn strikes rattled residents in the Saudi capital, where early-warning systems and emergency alerts activated as an explosion echoed through western neighborhoods near the diplomatic quarter. Saudi Arabia’s coalition confirmed that air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh. Authorities reported no casualties or damage, though flight tracking services recorded major delays at King Khalid International Airport and a plume of smoke rose near the airfield.
Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the Tehran-backed rebels that has opened a new front in the Iran war. The statement by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the dawn attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion, and later, some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
Saudi Arabia issued emergency alerts across the kingdom on Saturday for a hostile aerial threat, including the first alert in its capital since fighting escalated with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Yanbu
Simultaneous Strikes Target Red Sea Infrastructure and Regional Energy Routes
Beyond the capital, the assault extended across multiple provinces. The Saudi-led coalition stated that the group tried to attack civilian infrastructure in Yanbu—where a key Saudi pipeline ends—alongside Taif, Baysh, and Farasan, but they were thwarted, giving no further details. The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted sensitive sites in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing massive fires. Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed they attacked with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones, announcing they had carried out two significant military operations using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones. Saree said in a video message:
The two operations, by the grace of God Almighty, were crowned with success and resulted in massive fires breaking out at the targeted sites
Saree also denied that the strikes had targeted civilians, saying that this was instead the results of failed intercept attempts by Saudi defence forces. He said Saudi Arabia had attempted to target the rebel-held city of Sanaa in neighboring Yemen, without giving details. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims.
The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets. While Aramco did not respond to requests for comment, the rising conflict places renewed pressure on global markets. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s end have more than doubled since the Iran war began, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Mecca
Escalation on Multiple Fronts Across Yemen and Saudi Arabia
The capital strikes arrive amid a steady drumbeat of cross-border fire and internal ground offensives. On Thursday, the first civilian casualty was reported as the Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had tried to attack Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, with a drone that it said was intercepted, calling the security of the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad a red line. The Houthis fiercely denied the accusation.
Meanwhile, fighting has surged inside Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government. The rebels raced down the country’s Red Sea coast over a week ago, seizing the key port city of Mokha and strategic islands that sit in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—the narrow entrance to the Red Sea. The rebel group has been attacking Saudi shipping on the Red Sea since declaring a blockade in July, as well as hitting oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. The rebels said they acted in response to the kingdom’s years-long blockade of Houthi-held parts of Yemen.
Farea Al-Muslimi
Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemen specialist at Chatham House, a London-based research group, said the attacks on Riyadh were a huge escalation. He said they reflected that the Houthis are not going to stop anywhere, particularly at a time when they feel emboldened by recent battlefield victories. The group framed its campaign as retaliation for criminal Saudi aggression, noting on Friday that Saudi Arabia launched 26 strikes against areas under their control, though Saree previously mentioned more than 700 Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has not acknowledged launching any airstrikes in recent days, and Saudi officials generally say that such strikes are being carried out by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Saudi authorities did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Diplomatic Positions Stiffened as International Observers Watch Markets
The United States, a close Saudi ally, has signaled it has no current fight with the Houthis. Meanwhile, regional officials have told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and instead has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support.
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