Iran-Backed Houthis Vow More Attacks on Saudi Airports and Oil Facilities

SANAA/RIYADH (Terror Monitor) — Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen vowed on Wednesday to continue attacks on Saudi Arabian airports and oil infrastructure, claiming to have targeted facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in the Saudi capital.

The Houthis said they had launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at the sites but did not specify when the attacks took place. The announcement came amid an escalation in cross-border strikes between the Iran-backed group and Saudi Arabia, with the kingdom facing repeated attacks over the past week.

The escalation follows a deadly attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday that killed 13 people. The airport has been targeted multiple times amid the widening conflict, raising concerns about the safety of civilian aviation and the security of critical infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have said their attacks are retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni government forces in the conflict in Yemen, which resumed last month amid heightened confrontation between the United States and Iran in the Gulf.

Houthis Warn Civilians and Shipping Companies to Leave Facilities

In a direct threat, the Houthis urged international shipping companies, civilians and workers to evacuate airports and oil facilities, declaring the locations legitimate military targets.

The warning raises concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on civilian safety, commercial aviation and regional energy supplies. Saudi Arabia hosts major oil production and export infrastructure that plays a significant role in global energy markets.

Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Intercepted Missile

The Saudi-led military coalition said on Wednesday that it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh. Several loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, although the immediate cause of the sounds was not independently established.

A witness said Saudi authorities had issued an alert warning of a possible aerial threat in Riyadh earlier in the day before subsequently lifting it. Authorities had not immediately explained the explosions or provided further details about the incident.

The latest developments came a day after an attack on the headquarters complex of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, in eastern Saudi Arabia.

Aramco Headquarters Hit in Dhahran

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Tuesday that an attack on an administrative building at Aramco’s headquarters complex in Dhahran caused a limited fire but resulted in no reported casualties.

However, a source at the company told Reuters that a ballistic missile had struck an office tower within the complex, damaging its top three floors. The extent of the damage described by the source differed from the ministry’s initial account.

The Dhahran complex houses a major Aramco operations centre that oversees the company’s extensive network of onshore and offshore oil fields, pipelines, refineries and export terminals.

The attack has heightened concerns about the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure as the Houthis threaten further strikes on oil facilities and airports.

Riyadh Airport Closed Until October 17

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has come under attack four times, according to the supplied report. Saturday’s attack, which killed 13 people, was described as the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in a decade.

Authorities have closed the airport until October 17, while airlines have cancelled flights to Saudi Arabia. The repeated attacks have disrupted air travel and raised questions about the risks facing passengers, airport workers and other civilians.

The escalating violence also threatens Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to transform and diversify the kingdom’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues. Continued attacks on airports and energy facilities could undermine investor confidence and complicate efforts to attract international business and tourism.

Conflict in Yemen Resumes Amid Regional Tensions

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. Riyadh said its intervention was intended in part to counter the expansion of Iranian influence near its southern border.

A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 brought a period of relative calm between the warring sides, although it did not resolve the underlying conflict. That fragile calm has now given way to renewed fighting, with the confrontation between the United States and Iran contributing to the wider regional escalation.

The Houthis have increasingly threatened Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, while the Saudi-led coalition has conducted strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

The latest exchange of attacks threatens to widen the conflict further, with potential consequences for civilian safety, regional security, commercial aviation and global energy markets.

The Houthis’ claims that they targeted the named Saudi facilities have not been independently verified in full. Saudi authorities have confirmed a missile interception toward Riyadh and a fire at the Aramco headquarters complex, while the precise circumstances and extent of damage from the various reported attacks remain unclear.