Houthis claim Riyadh Aramco attack: Saudi-led coalition calls it ‘misleading’

Jeddah: Yemen's Houthi group has claimed it carried out a ballistic missile and drone attack on a Saudi Aramco facility near Riyadh, but the Saudi-led coalition has rejected the claim as “misleading” as fighting between Houthi and government forces intensifies in Yemen.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted Aramco facilities in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones. He claimed the strikes hit their intended targets and caused fires.

The claim came after renewed Saudi-led military operations against Houthi positions in Yemen. The Houthis said their attack was carried out in response to strikes on Sanaa and other parts of Yemen.

Images and footage showed flames and smoke near an Aramco facility south of Riyadh. However, Saudi authorities and Aramco had not independently confirmed that the facility had been hit by a Houthi attack.

Saudi-led coalition rejects claim

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, described the Houthi claims as “misleading”.

He said the Houthis were attempting to divert attention from losses suffered on the battlefield, particularly around Taiz, and from growing public anger against the group.

The competing accounts mean the reported attack and the extent of any damage to the Aramco facility have not been independently established.

Fighting intensifies in Yemen

The claims came amid a wider escalation in Yemen, particularly around Taiz and other fronts.

Yemeni government forces said they had carried out hundreds of operations against Houthi positions and claimed heavy casualties among Houthi fighters. Those casualty figures have not been independently verified.

The Saudi-led coalition also said it carried out 97 operations against Houthi reinforcements on the Tor al-Baha and Taiz fronts using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers.

Why the escalation matters

The latest confrontation comes after the collapse of a fragile 2022 truce in July and a subsequent expansion of fighting.

The Houthis have also made territorial gains around the Red Sea, including the port city of Mocha and strategic islands near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a major route for global maritime trade and energy shipments.

The renewed fighting therefore carries implications beyond Yemen, particularly for shipping and energy infrastructure in the Red Sea and Gulf region.

The immediate focus is on whether the reported attack on the Aramco facility can be independently confirmed and whether the latest strikes trigger further escalation between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Yemen's internationally recognised government has also announced a major military operation aimed at retaking territory held by the Houthis, adding another layer to the rapidly intensifying conflict.