Saudi Arabia strikes Yemen oil sites as Houthi missiles target Riyadh; 'limited fire' breaks out at Aramco

Saudi Arabia’s Saudi-led coalition launched strikes against oil facilities across western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, following a deadly Houthi attack on Saudi territory that has sharply escalated the conflict. The strikes took place on Tuesday as explosions were subsequently reported in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and near an Aramco facility in eastern Saudi Arabia, according to witnesses and journalists cited by AFP. The coalition said it had intercepted several Houthi missiles targeting the kingdom, including Riyadh. Debris reportedly fell in a residential area in Dhahran, home to the headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the attacks in Sanaa and the western provinces of Dhamar and Saada targeted facilities used to supply the war effort by the Houthis to threaten the kingdom, Yemen, the southern Red Sea and waterways. Shortly afterwards, a powerful explosion was heard in Riyadh. Residents also received a phone alert warning that the city of Riyadh is facing a hostile aerial threat. A witness walking along a major avenue in the Saudi capital told AFP he saw a projectile cutting across the sky above a shopping mall. He said it left a yellowish trail of light followed by a trail of smoke. Then, we heard an explosion. "People were calm; no one was speaking. We were scared and all looking up at the sky," he added, requesting anonymity.

The coalition subsequently targeted a Yemen Petroleum Company facility on the outskirts of the capital. An AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported an explosion, while the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television channel issued a breaking news alert describing the attack as ‘Saudi aggression’.

Saudi Arabia issues warning over Red Sea security

The latest exchange of attacks has heightened concerns about the security of Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure and major shipping routes. A strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday reportedly killed 13 people and forced operations to be suspended, marking the deadliest attack on Saudi territory since 2015, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, issued a strong warning during a meeting on Tuesday. The government said it will not allow its security or freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait to be threatened.

Meanwhile, fears of fuel shortages prompted residents in Sanaa to queue outside petrol stations after the coalition’s evacuation warning. The Houthis had previously threatened to target Riyadh’s international airport, a refinery and an Aramco facility in Dammam if the coalition proceeded with its planned strikes. The group also urged civilians to stay away from the locations. Several countries have issued travel advisories for their citizens in Saudi Arabia. France was the latest to advise its nationals to avoid Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam airports.

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Saudi economy faces growing pressure

The intensifying conflict is adding to the economic challenges facing Saudi Arabia, which has already been affected by disruptions to regional energy supplies and shipping. Traffic in Riyadh, usually notorious for heavy congestion, was noticeably lighter this week. Authorities introduced remote learning for schools and work-from-home arrangements for some businesses amid heightened security concerns.

The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product was expected to contract by 3.3 per cent this year, with the broader regional outlook also affected by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The kingdom had already faced economic headwinds following the disruption of shipping through the strategic waterway after the Middle East war began in February, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

The resumption of fighting in Yemen in July has added another source of instability, bringing the conflict closer to Saudi territory and threatening critical infrastructure. Houthi attacks have also targeted oil tankers in the Red Sea, a strategically important route that Saudi Arabia uses as an alternative for exporting crude oil when access through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

Trump weighs possible US involvement

The attack on Riyadh airport has raised the prospect of deeper US involvement in the conflict. US President Donald Trump said he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis following the deadly attack. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that the Houthis are behaving very badly, accusing the group of acting probably at the behest of Iran. "I'll be there after the elections, and I will never forget!" he wrote, referring to next month’s midterm elections. The statement prompted a warning from the Houthis against any American military intervention. Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, a member of the group’s political bureau, told AFP that the Houthis would target American interests in the region if Washington intervened. Bukhaiti said the campaign against Saudi targets was intended to send a message to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he can no longer wage aggression against Yemen from a safe position.

Aramco building targeted in Dhahran, limited fire reported

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that a ‘limited fire’ broke out at an administrative building belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, in the eastern province’s Dammam metropolitan area, after the facility was targeted on Tuesday evening. In a statement published on X, a ministry official said an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in the city of Dhahran, Eastern Province, was targeted, resulting in a limited fire. Authorities responded to the incident and implemented the necessary measures, the ministry said. The statement added that no injuries or fatalities had been reported following the incident.