On Thursday, Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which the Saudi-led coalition stated were aimed at Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea. The Houthis later claimed to have attacked what they described as "a sensitive target" in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree reported that the group utilized ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones in these operations, asserting that they achieved their objectives. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia regarding an attack on Riyadh, and no emergency alert was issued for the capital on that day.
The escalation poses a risk to Saudi Arabia's oil exports through the Red Sea, especially as the Strait of Hormuz is currently disrupted and the kingdom's East-West pipeline is just resuming operations after previous drone strikes. The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July, indicating a broader conflict in the US-Iran war.
It remains unclear if there were any damages or casualties in Taif or Yanbu, which is a key alternative route for Saudi oil. An emergency alert was issued for regions including Jeddah and Mecca. The attack on Yanbu came after improved prospects for oil exports from the terminal, as industry sources indicated that Saudi Arabia was increasing crude pumping volumes through its East-West pipeline, which had been shut down on September 11 due to drone attacks attributed to Iraqi militia.
Earlier on Thursday, Saree stated that the Houthis had targeted Saudi military sites in Jazan province, but there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities. He claimed that the attacks involved dozens of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at operations rooms, command and control centers, weapons depots, missile launch sites, and military camps in Jazan. Saudi civil defense had issued an emergency alert for potential danger in Jazan on Wednesday, but no alerts were issued on Thursday.
Civil defense authorities also warned of potential danger in the northwestern province of Tabuk, which is near the Jordan border, marking the first alert for that area during the recent escalation. Historically, the Houthis have focused their attacks on southern regions of Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis recently captured the entire Yemeni western coast in a rapid offensive that brought them to the shores of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway. The Riyadh-backed government forces had previously repelled Houthi attacks on a key supply route to Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, from the southern port city of Aden, where the internationally recognized administration is based.
The Houthis have maintained pressure along the Hejat al-Abd mountain pass, which is crucial for government forces and serves as the only route for goods and residents to access Taiz and travel abroad. Controlling parts of this road could enable the Houthis to strengthen their hold on the city and further challenge the government, which has struggled to regain momentum since losing the western coast.
This conflict represents the latest development in Yemen's 12-year civil war, which had largely been stagnant since a truce in 2022. The Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year to support the internationally recognized government. According to the United Nations, over 700 people have been killed and thousands injured in the recent fighting, with nearly 130,000 Yemenis displaced within the country and more than 3,000 fleeing by boat across the Red Sea to Africa.