Yemen’s Houthi movement warned civilians and workers near Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities to evacuate on Tuesday, declaring the sites legitimate targets following a Saudi-led coalition strike on an oil depot in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The escalation marks a sharp deterioration in the Middle East following a ballistic missile strike on Saturday, which left 13 people dead and over 300 injured. The weekend attack prompted widespread flight suspensions by international carriers including Air France-KLM, Air India, Etihad, Lufthansa, Delta, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways.
Retaliatory Threats Mount Across the Saudi Capital
Following explosions reported in Sanaa on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree issued a warning on X that targets could include the Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran and an oil refinery in Riyadh. The group renewed earlier warnings it had issued to oil workers in Saudi Arabia, telling them to stay away from sites that could be potential targets.
According to Reuters, the Saudi-led coalition defended its operation by stating it had targeted the Al-Sabaha central station in Sanaa, alongside oil installations in Hodeidah and Dhamar, to neutralize capabilities used by the Houthis to threaten regional waterways and the kingdom. The Yemen Petroleum Company maintained that the targeted Sanaa facility held no active petroleum stocks at the time of the strike.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki stated the operation complied with international humanitarian law. Al-Maliki also confirmed that coalition forces successfully intercepted three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday.
| Target / Location | Reported Event | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Airport | Ballistic missile strike; 13 dead, 300+ injured | Saturday |
| Al-Sabaha Central Station, Sanaa | Coalition air strikes and evacuation orders | Tuesday |
| Ras Isa Port & Hodeidah | Storage tank strikes by Saudi-backed forces | Tuesday |
| Northern Riyadh Airspace | Three drones intercepted by coalition forces | Tuesday |
Diplomatic Manoeuvring and Ground Offensives
As cross-border aerial exchanges intensified, diplomatic channels scrambled to manage the fallout. Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, issued a statement saying the Houthis would face consequences for their repeated attacks on the kingdom.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the Houthis were behaving very badly, adding that he may ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene in support of Saudi interests. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday to reaffirm Ankara’s backing for the kingdom, following a mutual defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia during the summer.
On the ground in Yemen, government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition pursued a counteroffensive known as the “Dawn of Yemen.” Colonel Majed Al-Nuzaily stated that ground forces executed precision strikes across Taiz governorate, targeting Houthi defense networks, command centers, and supply lines. Meanwhile, the United Nations warned that mounting casualties, civilian infrastructure damage, and the displacement of over 200,000 people since September have left populations across the region facing severe humanitarian risks.
