Houthis say they targeted Saudi capital with ballistic missiles
Houthi Missile and Drone Claims Put Riyadh on Alert
Constantvpn.com – Saudi Arabia’s capital was placed on high alert after Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen said they had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Riyadh, alongside attacks on energy infrastructure along the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi authorities said a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh had been intercepted and destroyed. They did not confirm additional strikes or report casualties. The incident nevertheless brought air raid warnings to the capital for the first time since the Houthis intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia in July.
Thick black smoke was seen rising from fuel tanks close to Riyadh’s international airport. Flights at King Khalid International Airport were temporarily affected on Saturday, with delays and cancellations causing disruption for travellers. Firefighters were seen tackling flames at a damaged Aramco fuel tank.
Air Defences Activated Across Several Cities
Saudi Civil Defence sent mobile phone warnings overnight, cautioning people in Riyadh and other areas about a possible threat. An all-clear was issued on Saturday morning. Some residents described hearing multiple blasts after the alerts sounded.
“I heard the alarm, then my windows shook,” said a 27-year-old resident of northern Riyadh. “It was definitely scary. I was not expecting this.”
A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said air defences had also countered what were described as hostile efforts to strike civilians in Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu. The statement offered no detailed account of the number of incoming weapons or the precise locations involved.
Yahya al-Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, said the group had used a large volume of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. He said the operation targeted sensitive locations in Riyadh and facilities belonging to state oil and gas company Aramco in Yanbu.
“A large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones” were used, Sarea said.
He portrayed the strikes as a response to Saudi military action directed at Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, which remains under Houthi control. Sarea had earlier alleged that Saudi Arabia had carried out 300 strikes across Yemen during the previous week.
Conflict in Yemen Spills Beyond Its Borders
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government in a long-running civil war. Saudi Arabia backs that government, while the Houthis receive support from Iran. The conflict has repeatedly crossed Yemen’s borders through missile and drone launches against Saudi territory.
In recent months, the group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks inside the kingdom. It also said this week that it had brought down a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen, underlining the growing risks facing military and civilian infrastructure in the region.
Fighting on the ground has continued to exact a severe human cost. Military sources from both sides of the Yemeni conflict said 48 people were killed in clashes on Saturday. The Houthis said 31 of their fighters died, while government sources said they lost 17 soldiers.
Displacement is also rising as combat spreads. The International Organization for Migration said on Friday that recent violence had forced more than 104,796 people from their homes. That figure illustrates how military escalation affects communities far from the sites of missile launches and air-defence operations.
Red Sea Pressure Adds to Energy Concerns
The latest claims come after the Houthis seized the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island. Both lie near a major shipping passage used by Saudi Arabia to send exports toward Asian and European markets.
The group has described its naval blockade as retaliation for Saudi restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-held north-western Yemen. Control and disruption around the Red Sea route have gained greater importance because Saudi vessels have depended on that stretch of water for oil exports after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed by the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
For Saudi Arabia, attacks around Riyadh and Yanbu raise concerns that extend beyond immediate security. Riyadh is the political centre of the kingdom, while Red Sea energy facilities and shipping corridors are central to the movement of oil to international markets. Even brief disruption at a major airport or fuel site can sharpen uncertainty for businesses, travellers and energy traders.
Investment bank JP Morgan said on Friday that it was having difficulty forecasting the effect of the war on oil prices. Its assessment highlighted the uncertainty surrounding a conflict in which military developments, shipping access and energy infrastructure can quickly alter market expectations.
“We simply don’t know how to model the endgame,” JP Morgan told investors.
Saturday’s events showed how the conflict is evolving on several fronts at once: aerial attacks directed at Saudi cities, combat inside Yemen, pressure on Red Sea routes and renewed anxiety over energy supplies. Saudi authorities have confirmed the interception of one missile bound for Riyadh, while the broader Houthi claims of attacks on the capital and coastal facilities remain only partly detailed.
As air raid warnings recede and airport operations return toward normal, the episode leaves the kingdom facing a familiar but increasingly complex challenge: protecting population centres and critical energy assets while a conflict in neighbouring Yemen continues to produce consequences across the wider region.
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