Houthis Claim Missile Attacks on Saudi Capital and Energy Facilities

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed that they launched drone, cruise missile and ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh and key energy facilities along the Red Sea coast.

However, Saudi authorities said their air defence systems successfully detected and destroyed a ballistic missile heading toward Riyadh on Saturday.

They did not confirm any major damage or casualties. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition said Saudi defence forces had also thwarted several “hostile attack attempts” targeting civilian sites in the cities of Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu, in addition to the capital.

Following the attacks, thick black smoke was seen rising from fuel storage tanks near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday. Flight operations were temporarily disrupted amid panic over explosions and smoke.

For the first time since the recent escalation of Houthi attacks, air-raid warning sirens sounded in Riyadh on Saturday. In a statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that a large number of drones and long-range missiles had been launched at “sensitive targets” in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco in the coastal city of Yanbu.

He said the counter-operation was carried out in response to what the Houthis described as an attempt by Saudi Arabia to capture the Yemeni capital Sanaa and nearly 300 Saudi airstrikes across Yemen over the past week. The Houthis have also recently intensified attacks on Saudi targets and claimed that they shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen. The claim has not been independently verified.

Yemen Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

The internationally recognised Yemeni government strongly condemned the Houthi attack on Riyadh on Saturday morning. It described the attack as a “blatant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.

In a statement, Yemen’s Foreign Ministry blamed the Houthis for the attack. It also blamed the Iranian government for continuing to provide military support to the Houthis and enabling them to carry out attacks in pursuit of a regional agenda. The Yemeni government expressed support for any steps taken by Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led coalition to protect Saudi security and prevent such attacks.

Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the attacks and expressed support for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has regularly provided military and coalition support to Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The Houthis have continued attacks against Saudi Arabia since announcing a naval blockade of Saudi shipping in July. Their targets have included various Saudi cities, military bases and energy infrastructure.

Türkiye Offers Military Support to Saudi Arabia Under Mecca Pact

Against the backdrop of the recent Houthi attacks on key Saudi oil facilities, Türkiye has formally offered military assistance to Saudi Arabia. Ankara has reiterated its willingness to provide support under the recently signed “Mecca Pact.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan disclosed the offer in an interview with a local television channel. He said, “We see there are very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty. We have a mutual agreement with them. Saudi Arabia now needs some military assistance, especially on technical issues. We have no objection to providing such assistance.”

Fidan further stressed that Türkiye was committed to standing firmly beside Saudi Arabia during the crisis and was fully prepared to provide technical military assistance. The statement comes amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and shipping routes. The “Mecca Pact” refers to the joint defence agreement signed on August 7 in the holy city of Mecca by the leadership of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

Under the main provision of the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three signatory countries will be treated as an attack against all three, and the countries will jointly respond to it. The agreement is also known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.

Sources: Al Jazeera, NDTV