Flames, smoke seen near Riyadh airport; Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital

Riyadh: Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking “sensitive” sites in the Saudi capital Riyadh using missiles and drones, hours after flames and a large plume of smoke were observed near the city’s main airport. The attacks occurred on Saturday, according to multiple reports, with Saudi authorities issuing warnings overnight about potential dangers around the capital. Video footage and photographs captured a massive column of black smoke rising over the area, with the airport highway, main terminal building, and surrounding structures visible in the background. At one point, flames were seen erupting from behind what appeared to be fuel tanks. The Houthis did not specify which locations within Riyadh were targeted but stated they had also struck an Aramco facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu, a critical hub for Saudi oil exports. They described the operation as a retaliation for an attack in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. In response, the Saudi-led military coalition confirmed that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a missile fired by the Houthis toward Riyadh early on Saturday. The coalition also reported thwarting attacks targeting civilians in several Saudi cities, including Bish and Farasan in the southwest, Taif in the west, and Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. However, it did not confirm whether any damage resulted from these incidents. Saudi civil defense officials sent alerts by phone overnight, warning of possible aerial threats in Riyadh and the nearby city of Al-Kharj, located east of the capital. These alerts were followed by an all-clear message issued on Saturday morning. A Reuters journalist stationed in Riyadh’s Olaya district reported hearing explosions prior to the all-clear being announced. This marks the first such alerts in Riyadh since the escalation of hostilities with the Houthis began in July. While similar warnings had been issued in the city earlier this year following the onset of the U.S.-Iran conflict, these were the first related specifically to the ongoing clashes with the Houthis. The Houthis, who control the most populous regions of Yemen and much of the northern part of the country, have been conducting attacks against Saudi Arabia since establishing a naval blockade against Riyadh in July. Their strikes have focused on Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and maritime vessels in the Red Sea, raising concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies and threatening the primary alternative shipping route through the Red Sea, while the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, noted that Saudi Arabia may face military challenges due to the ongoing Houthi attacks and expressed readiness to assist under a trilateral defense pact involving Pakistan. Although the nature of the assistance remained unclear, Fidan suggested that the support could involve addressing “some technical issues.” The agreement, signed recently, states that an armed attack on any of the three nations would be considered an attack on all. On Friday, a Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed the group had prevented unspecified “criminal attempts” in Sanaa, attributing the actions to Saudi Arabia and pledging a response. The Houthis, backed by Iran, recently took control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline in a rapid military campaign. They accused the Saudi Air Force of conducting hundreds of airstrikes against them in recent days. The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has evolved into a new phase of the broader regional war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran late last year. Despite Saudi appeals for direct U.S. military involvement, former President Donald Trump has rejected such requests. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior official in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Al Jazeera that Tehran seeks an end to the war with the Houthis and believes many Yemenis also desire a resolution with Saudi Arabia. Rezaei added that Iran had communicated its conditions to mediators aiming to restart stalled peace talks.