Houthis Vow Further Strikes on Saudi Energy Sites After Aramco Hit
Yemen's Houthi movement declared on Wednesday that military operations against airports and petroleum installations inside Saudi Arabia will continue, following a projectile strike that hit an administrative tower within the Saudi Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran. Three individuals familiar with the situation indicated that the overnight assault generated a fire extending across several floors of the facility, though state energy authorities characterized the blaze as limited and confirmed normal operations persisted through remote employee arrangements, according to Arab News.
In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ministers condemned the Houthi actions, vowed to protect navigation in the Red Sea and backed a coalition operation against the group.
Almost 1500 flights were cancelled across Saudi Arabia as attacks disrupted travel.
Interceptions and Capital City Damage
The cross-border escalation triggered defensive military actions across the kingdom, with the Saudi-led coalition reporting the interception of ballistic and cruise projectiles directed toward Riyadh and eastern districts. Civil defence officials in the capital documented that falling fragments from two neutralized cruise missiles impacted fifteen residential properties and resulted in four civilian injuries, comprising two women, a man, and a child. Witnesses described observing bright projectile trails and subsequent explosions overhead as air defense alerts temporarily activated across the metropolitan area.
Retaliatory Context and Regional Strain
Tuesday's strike on Aramco followed coalition airstrikes targeting the Yemen Petroleum Company fuel depot at al-Sabaha on the outskirts of Sanaa, alongside installations located near Hudaydah. The Houthi leadership framed their campaign as a direct response to renewed military actions by the Saudi-led coalition in support of internationally recognized government forces along Red Sea front lines. Amid widening hostilities, international agencies reported acute humanitarian pressures, noting that hospital facilities across Yemen face severe operational strains while humanitarian relief remains blocked from reaching hundreds of thousands of residents in Taiz.
Houthi forces also struck Abha's international airport and Aden International Airport during the same week of regional aviation attacks.