Houthi Missile Barrage Hits Saudi Arabia as Coalition Launches Retaliatory Strikes
The cross-border escalation threatens regional energy infrastructure and commercial shipping lanes following repeated attacks on Saudi urban centers and civilian facilities.
Yemen's Houthi rebels launched cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones at Riyadh and Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province on Tuesday evening. Saudi air defenses intercepted incoming projectiles over the capital and three other regions.
Falling shrapnel from two intercepted cruise missiles struck residential neighborhoods in Riyadh. Saudi Civil Defense reported that the debris injured two women, one man and one child, while damaging 15 homes.
In the Eastern Province, a missile struck an office tower at the Saudi Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran. A company source said the strike damaged the top three floors of the administrative building and started a limited fire. The Saudi Ministry of Energy said the fire caused no casualties.
Saudi air defenses also intercepted projectiles over Haradh and Al-Kharj. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said forces destroyed a cruise missile over Al-Kharj and three drones north of Riyadh. He added that defenses destroyed at least six missiles and drones during the barrage.
The Saudi-led coalition responded with retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi-controlled energy and fuel infrastructure in western Yemen. The targets included the Al-Sabaha fuel facility west of Sanaa. Al-Maliki warned that Houthi forces used fuel storage sites for military operations and urged civilians to evacuate the station.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Telegram that any Saudi strikes on Sanaa would bring a firm and painful response against Riyadh. The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis would face consequences for repeated attacks. The cabinet reaffirmed plans to protect navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
United States President Donald Trump said the Houthis were acting badly and were likely directed by Iran. Trump stated that he was considering joining Saudi military operations against the group.
The exchange followed an attack on Saturday, Oct. 10, against Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. That ballistic missile and drone strike killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300. Fatalities included four Saudis alongside nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and the United States.
Cross-border fighting reignited after Houthi fighters seized strategic areas along the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The move prompted threats to commercial shipping and oil transport.
Saudi authorities are conducting a formal investigation into air defense performance to determine how hostile salvos penetrated defensive perimeters. The coalition announced ongoing operations targeting Houthi launch sites, drone depots and fuel piers in Sanaa, Dhamar and Hodeidah. Houthi officials warned of swift retaliation if the United States directly participates in strikes inside Yemen.
