Houthis claim missile strikes on Saudi defence ministry, Ras Tanura refinery

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed an attack on Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry in Riyadh and its biggest oil refinery, Ras Tanura. AFP reported that the blast shook the capital of Saudi Arabia, and the maritime fire agency Vanguard said a fire was reported in the Ras Tanura area in the early hours of Tuesday, local time. The attack is being reported as Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, along with Pakistani and Turkish officials, just completed four-way regional security talks.

"Our armed forces targeted the Ministry of Defence in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile, and the hit was direct," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. The Houthi military spokesperson also claimed that the Houthis "were able to target the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile", adding the strike caused "massive fires".

The attack on the Defence Ministry in Riyadh was not confirmed by Saudi Arabia. AFP reported an explosion in the capital earlier in the day. A text message alert was also sent urging people to seek shelter. Authorities said they intercepted and destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles launched towards the city.

Saudi Arabian authorities and Saudi Aramco have not confirmed a direct Houthi missile strike on the Ras Tanura oil refinery. The Saudi Ministry of Interior and Civil Defence have strictly banned recording and sharing any footage of missile or drone attacks. So the extent of damage is unknown.

"The fire has reportedly been contained, while the extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations remain unclear at current," Vanguard said.

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Ras Tanura is the largest and oldest oil refinery in Saudi Arabia; it is also the most complex one. It has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It has been repeatedly targeted by strikes blamed on Iran in the early conflict during March.

The Houthis have also claimed an attack on two military transport aircraft in southern Saudi Arabia. The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the group targeted the aircraft "with ballistic missiles, one at Najran airport and the other at (King) Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait". He also added that the group had targeted the southern airport of Abha with a drone.

Israeli media claims Saudi Arabia offered Houthis $1 billion

Israeli media outlet Israel Hayom claimed that Saudi Arabia offered the Houthis $1 billion via an Iran-mediated deal to secure a ceasefire and halt the ongoing infrastructure strike. The report cites unnamed officials, saying that Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman even brought the money with him during his trip to Iran, and its Mecca pact partners, Turkey and Pakistan, were also part of it. Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed the official diplomatic visit to Tehran as part of a joint regional effort with Pakistan and Turkey to de-escalate regional tensions, but it did not explicitly comment on the report. The attempt is to revive a 2023 framework where Saudi Arabia would fund public-sector salaries and infrastructure rebuilds in Houthi-controlled Yemen in exchange for a complete cessation of attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports.