On Saturday a column of thick black smoke rose from what appeared to be fuel tanks close to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, prompting the Saudi Civil Defence to issue phone alerts warning residents to stay indoors. Flights were temporarily delayed and some cancelled, with the tracking service FlightRadar24 confirming disruptions at the airport.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya al‑Sarea posted online that a "large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones" had been used to strike "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and Aramco oil and gas facilities in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. He said the attacks were a response to what he described as Saudi attempts to target Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and earlier accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out 300 strikes across Yemen in the previous week.
The Saudi authorities have not issued an official comment on the incident. However, AFP journalists reported firefighters attempting to extinguish flames on a burnt‑out Aramco fuel tank, and a resident of northern Riyadh, 27, described hearing an alarm and feeling her windows shake, adding that the scene was "definitely scary".
The latest strike comes amid an intensifying conflict between the Iran‑backed Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Earlier in the week the Houthis claimed responsibility for downing a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen, and AFP cited unconfirmed figures that fighting on Saturday resulted in 48 deaths – 31 Houthi fighters and 17 government soldiers, according to the respective sides.
The broader regional impact includes a surge in displaced people, with the UN’s International Organization for Migration reporting more than 104,800 people forced from their homes. The Houthis have recently seized the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a key Red Sea waypoint for Saudi oil exports, a move they say retaliates against a Saudi blockade of Houthi‑controlled ports. Investment bank JP Morgan warned it cannot model the war’s effect on oil prices, reflecting market uncertainty over the conflict’s trajectory.
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Category: International
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