Houthis Allege Saudi Strikes on Sanaa, Claim Retaliatory Attack on Aramco Facility in Riyadh

Houthis Claim Attack on Aramco Facility in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia Bombs Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, as tensions between the two sides escalated with fresh airstrikes on Sanaa.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Saturday that the group targeted the oil facility with ballistic missiles and drones, claiming the strikes triggered fires at the sites.

Earlier, an AFP journalist reported seeing smoke and flames rising from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh. Firefighters were reportedly attempting to contain a blaze at the company’s Riyadh refinery, while ambulances and police vehicles were stationed nearby.

Saudi authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the alleged attack.

Meanwhile, Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi warplanes carried out 26 strikes on Sanaa, describing them as “Saudi aggression” against the Yemeni capital.

Two correspondents in Sanaa reported hearing loud explosions and seeing warplanes launch missiles at the city.

The channel also reported missile strikes targeting telecommunications infrastructure in Saada governorate in northwestern Yemen, a major Houthi stronghold.

The latest escalation follows renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia in July, ending four years of a fragile truce.

The conflict reignited after Iran sent a plane carrying a Houthi delegation to Sanaa without obtaining Saudi authorisation, breaking a decade-long practice. Riyadh subsequently launched strikes on Sanaa airport, prompting the Houthis to attack Saudi territory for the first time since 2022.

Since then, the Houthis have expanded their military campaign, capturing coastal areas along the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait and launching attacks on Saudi targets, including oil infrastructure and Riyadh. The group has also announced a naval blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.

Hunger Crisis Deepens

The renewed fighting has further deteriorated Yemen’s already dire humanitarian situation.

The World Food Programme warned on Friday that three-quarters of Yemen’s population could no longer meet their basic food needs, highlighting the growing threat of hunger in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Battle for Taiz Intensifies

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified around Taiz, where dozens of combatants were reportedly killed on Friday.

The Houthis said 55 of their fighters had died, while sources from Yemen’s internationally recognised government told AFP that 26 government troops were killed.

The battle is unfolding across several fronts, including highlands overlooking coastal areas recently captured by the Houthis.

Despite territorial gains, the group has yet to seize Taiz city, Yemen’s third-largest urban centre after Sanaa and Aden.

The Houthis also claimed on Friday that Saudi forces had conducted 94 strikes on areas under their control in the preceding 24 hours.

Saudi authorities, meanwhile, reported that a Houthi projectile damaged a school in Najran, near the Yemeni border.

Riyadh has reportedly sought military assistance from Washington, but US President Donald Trump has so far declined to provide support.

On Saturday, Axios reported that senior Trump administration officials had met a day earlier to discuss Yemen and the Iran conflict, citing three US officials. The meeting was not officially announced.