Houthis Launch Missile, Drone Attacks on Saudi Airports and Oil Facilities

Yemen's Houthi group announced a large-scale missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia's airports and oil facilities on October 13-14, 2026, targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco installations in Dhahran and the Eastern Province. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting multiple projectiles over Riyadh and other cities, though debris from intercepted missiles caused injuries and residential damage. Four people, including two women and one child, were injured in Riyadh when fragments fell in a residential area; a Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran sustained limited fire damage.

The strikes followed Saudi coalition airstrikes on Yemen's fuel infrastructure, specifically the Yemen Petroleum Company's Al-Sabaha Central Station near Sanaa on October 13. The Saudi-led coalition had issued a warning before the strike, urging civilian evacuation. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea reported 104 coalition strikes across Houthi-held areas within 24 hours and warned of "harsh and painful" responses if attacks on Sanaa continued. The Houthis said their military operations responded to what they describe as a Saudi blockade and strikes on their territory, including previous attacks on Sanaa airport.

Saudi Arabia's cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warned the Houthis would "bear the consequences" of their attacks. The kingdom received diplomatic support from regional and international allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Turkey's backing for Saudi Arabia and said he would submit a defense pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan to Parliament for ratification. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister held calls with counterparts from Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, who condemned the Houthi attacks and reaffirmed solidarity with the kingdom. US President Donald Trump stated the Houthis were "behaving very badly" and said he had spoken with the Saudi crown prince about the situation.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed de-escalation with counterparts from Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt, while Tehran reiterated its readiness to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The escalation follows a July 2026 breakdown of an informal four-year ceasefire, when the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and began targeting Saudi infrastructure. The conflict stems from Yemen's civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government from Sanaa; the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to attempt to restore that government's rule.