Middle East war escalates: Houthi attacks spark Aramco fire, injure four in Riyadh

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has reported fresh attacks targeting its energy infrastructure and capital, with a strike on an Aramco facility triggering a fire in the eastern city of Dhahran and debris from intercepted Houthi missiles injuring four people in Riyadh.

The incidents, which occurred on Tuesday evening, mark a further escalation in the renewed conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with the kingdom facing increasing threats to its oil installations, airports and major cities.

According to a Saudi energy ministry official, an administrative building belonging to state oil giant Aramco was struck in Dhahran, causing a “limited fire”. However, there were “no casualties or fatalities” at the facility.

In Riyadh, four people, including two women, a man and a child, were injured after debris from two intercepted Houthi cruise missiles fell in residential areas, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said on Wednesday.

At least 15 houses were damaged in the incident. The Saudi-led military coalition had earlier announced that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles on Tuesday evening, including projectiles directed towards the capital.

The latest attacks came hours after coalition forces carried out airstrikes against oil-related installations in Yemen, raising fears of a wider confrontation that could further disrupt energy supplies and shipping routes across the region.

Saudi airstrikes target oil facilities in Yemen

Earlier on Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition launched strikes against oil facilities in Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the western provinces of Dhamar and Saada.

The coalition said the operations were carried out in response to recent Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including a deadly strike on Riyadh’s international airport.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the targeted installations were being used to “supply the war effort” by the Houthis and to “threaten the kingdom, Yemen, the southern Red Sea and waterways”.

The coalition had issued an evacuation warning for parts of Sanaa before launching an attack on a Yemen Petroleum Company facility on the outskirts of the capital.

It was the first such evacuation order issued by the coalition in the Yemeni capital since fighting intensified in July.

An AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported hearing an explosion following the strikes.

Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television reported that “Saudi aggression” had targeted the oil company.

The evacuation warning also triggered panic among residents, with large numbers of people rushing to fuel stations amid fears of possible shortages.

Explosions shake Riyadh as residents receive emergency alerts

The missile interceptions over Riyadh were accompanied by a powerful explosion that alarmed residents across the Saudi capital.

Authorities issued an emergency alert on mobile phones warning that “the city of Riyadh is facing a hostile aerial threat”.

A witness walking along a major road in Riyadh told AFP he “saw a projectile cutting across the sky” above a shopping mall.

The projectile left “a yellowish trail of light followed by a trail of smoke. Then, we heard an explosion”, the witness said.

“People were calm; no one was speaking. We were scared and all looking up at the sky,” he added, requesting anonymity.

The latest incidents follow a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports and energy installations.

On Saturday, a strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people and forced authorities to suspend operations, making it the deadliest attack on Saudi soil since 2015.

The incident prompted heightened security measures and widespread concern over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia warns against threats to Red Sea shipping

Amid the escalating attacks, Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reaffirmed its determination to protect the kingdom’s security and strategic shipping routes.

The cabinet declared on Tuesday that it “will not allow its security or freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait to be threatened”.

Before the latest coalition strikes, the Houthis had warned that they could target Riyadh’s international airport, an oil refinery and an Aramco installation in Dammam if Saudi forces proceeded with attacks in Yemen.

The group also urged civilians to stay away from the threatened locations.

Several countries have issued travel advisories for their citizens in Saudi Arabia amid the deteriorating security situation.

France became the latest to issue a warning, advising its nationals to avoid airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Meanwhile, daily life in Riyadh has been affected by the renewed hostilities.

Traffic on the capital’s normally congested roads was noticeably lighter this week after schools shifted to remote learning and some companies introduced work-from-home arrangements, according to AFP journalists.

Saudi economy faces mounting pressure amid Hormuz blockade

The renewed fighting has added to Saudi Arabia’s economic challenges as the wider Middle East conflict continues to disrupt global energy markets.

The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday that the Saudi economy was expected to contract by 3.3 percent this year, amid broader regional economic pressures linked to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The kingdom has faced significant disruption since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February, triggering a wider conflict and restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has affected one of the world’s most important oil transportation routes.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its Red Sea export infrastructure as an alternative. However, renewed Houthi attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea have placed that route under additional pressure.

The resumption of major hostilities in Yemen in July has further complicated the kingdom’s security and economic outlook.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis since 2015.

The prolonged civil war has devastated Yemen’s economy and infrastructure, leaving millions dependent on humanitarian assistance.

The latest escalation has also heightened concerns about the country’s public health situation.

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that suspected cholera cases in Yemen had tripled within three weeks.

The organisation said the rising number of infections was placing additional pressure on hospitals already struggling to treat casualties from the renewed fighting.

Trump threatens possible US intervention against Houthis

The escalating attacks have also drawn warnings from US President Donald Trump, who has indicated that Washington could consider joining Saudi military operations against the Houthis.

Following Saturday’s deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport, Trump said he was considering direct American involvement in strikes against the Yemeni group.

In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said “the Houthis are behaving very badly”, accusing the group of acting “probably at the behest of Iran”.

“I’ll be there after the elections, and I will never forget!” Trump wrote, referring to the US midterm elections scheduled for next month.

The Houthis responded by warning Washington against military intervention.

Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, a member of the group’s political bureau, told AFP that American interests across the region would become targets if the United States joined the military campaign.

Bukhaiti said the attacks on Saudi Arabia were intended to send a message to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “that he can no longer wage aggression against Yemen from a safe position”.