Houthis claim missile strikes on Saudi Aramco, airport in Riyadh

Yemeni Houthi forces claimed to have struck Saudi Aramco facilities and King Khalid Airport in Riyadh with missiles and drones, vowing more attacks on Saudi airports and oil installations in response to what they call Saudi aggression.

Yemeni Houthi forces on Wednesday claimed to have carried out strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, while warning of further attacks on Saudi airports and oil installations amid escalating regional hostilities.

Houthi Spokesperson's Statement

In a statement issued on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the operation was conducted in response to what the group described as Saudi aggression against Yemen. “In response to the treacherous Saudi aggression against the capital Sana'a and the free governorates, and within the framework of deterrence operations against the Saudi aggressor who targeted our country and people during the escalation period with 2,281 airstrikes and missiles, through which it committed dozens of crimes,” Saree said.

The spokesperson claimed, "And in implementation of what the Armed Forces committed to in their warnings to the criminal Saudi enemy, the Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out a qualitative military operation targeting Aramco Company in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, King Khalid International Airport, and Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery in Riyadh."

Saree warned that the group's operations against Saudi territory would continue in the coming days, with airports and oil facilities remaining potential targets. “This was done using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, and the strikes were precise, causing destruction and fires in the targeted sites. The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that their operations targeting the Saudi depth will continue in the coming days, striking the Saudi enemy's airports and oil facilities, and their consequences upon it will be dire," he said.

"In this regard, the Yemeni Armed Forces warn all global shipping companies, citizens, and workers in those airports and companies to stay away from them and evacuate them immediately, as they have become legitimate targets for our armed forces. We continue to impose the equation of siege with siege, escalation with escalation, and targeting the mobilisations affiliated with the Saudi enemy until the cessation of aggression and the end of the siege on our dear country,” he added.

The Houthi spokesperson also urged global shipping companies, citizens and workers at the targeted airports and facilities to stay away from the sites and evacuate immediately, declaring them “legitimate targets” for the group's armed forces.

Saudi-Led Coalition's Actions and Claims

The statement came amid heightened tensions after the Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday directed civilians to evacuate the Yemeni Oil Company's Al-Sabahah Central Station in Houthi-controlled Sanaa ahead of a planned military operation. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki urged civilians to leave the premises for their safety and shared an illustrative map of the site on X. The coalition had earlier indicated that it would issue an evacuation notice before carrying out what it described as a precision operation in the Yemeni capital. Further details regarding the timing and scope of the operation were not immediately available.

The Houthis had also warned Saudi Arabia against launching attacks on Sanaa, threatening retaliation against Riyadh if the Yemeni capital came under bombardment.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles directed towards Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia and neutralised three unmanned aerial vehicles north of Riyadh. The Houthis separately claimed to have downed a Saudi reconnaissance aircraft. These claims have not been independently verified.

Regional Security and Conflict Background

The escalation has raised concerns over the security of regional energy supplies and maritime trade routes, particularly the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic passage for international shipping.

Yemen's conflict intensified in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised government, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 to support the government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)