Houthis launch large-scale missile and drone attacks on Riyadh and Aramco facility in Yanbu

Yemen's Houthi group claimed on Saturday that it conducted two large-scale military operations targeting Saudi Arabia, firing ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones at the capital Riyadh and an Aramco oil facility in the port city of Yanbu. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea announced the attacks via statement broadcast on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, describing the operations as successful and claiming they caused large fires at both sites. The announcement followed explosions heard in Riyadh on Saturday morning, with smoke observed rising near King Khalid International Airport, causing flight delays and disruptions rated at the airport's maximum disruption index. Saudi civil defense had issued an aerial threat alert for Riyadh and surrounding areas before lifting it hours later, marking the first such alert for the Saudi capital since recent tensions escalated.

The Saudi-led coalition responded with a statement confirming that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Riyadh and thwarted attacks on multiple locations including Baish, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki stated that the attacks targeted "civilians and civilian objects" and pledged "appropriate measures" in response. Sarea denied that Houthis deliberately targeted civilians, stating instead that the attacks were a response to intensified Saudi airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen, specifically referencing 732 air strikes by Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets.

Sarea announced that Houthis would continue retaliatory operations under an "escalation for escalation" strategy until Saudi airstrikes cease and restrictions on Yemen are lifted. The attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Houthi group and Saudi Arabia, which intensified in mid-July when strikes targeted Sanaa International Airport. The Houthis subsequently declared a naval blockade of Saudi shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and have claimed numerous attacks on Saudi vessels and oil facilities since then.

The latest escalation occurs within a broader regional context involving US-Iran tensions. Iranian officials, including Mohsen Rezaei of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, have signaled willingness for the Saudi-Houthi conflict to end while outlining conditions for resumed negotiations with Washington, including ending wars on all fronts and lifting restrictions on Iranian assets. Meanwhile, US Central Command reported that primary transit lanes in the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared of mines and that allied nations have shipped over one billion barrels of crude through the waterway in recent months.