Saudi air defences intercept Houthi missile

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 30, 2026

Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement targeting the Eastern Province, marking another escalation in cross-border attacks. This attack highlights the ongoing conflict’s intensification following the July collapse of a truce, with rising civilian casualties and heightened regional tensions involving Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement toward the kingdom’s Eastern Province, the Saudi-led coalition confirmed on Friday. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al Malki announced the interception on social media, describing the missile launch as an assault by the “terrorist Houthi militia.”

The missile strike is the latest in a series of attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who have targeted strategic locations in Saudi Arabia, including a recent assault on Riyadh’s international airport—the deadliest in the kingdom in several years. The group also reported firing a ballistic missile at the Ras Tanura oil refinery in the Eastern Province earlier this week.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of backing the Houthi escalation, charges Tehran denies. The renewed hostilities broke out in July, ending a fragile four-year truce, with the conflict intensifying amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

In Yemen, the Houthis reported that a Saudi airstrike in the western Taiz province killed 12 civilians. According to a statement from the Houthi health ministry, shared via the group’s Saba news agency, the strike targeted residential homes in the Al Barah area of Maqbana district, specifically the families of Ibrahim Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Qouz and Al Rabai Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Qouz. Three additional individuals were critically injured in the attack.

Since the collapse of the truce, daily exchanges of fire have become routine between the Houthis and Yemeni forces loyal to the internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks in recent weeks, while the coalition has intensified airstrikes within Yemen.

The conflict has taken a heavy toll on civilians. United Nations data indicates that more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 275,000 displaced since hostilities resumed in July. On Wednesday, Houthi officials reported that Saudi airstrikes killed at least 14 people at a petrol station and market, while the group simultaneously launched an attack on the airport in the government-held city of Aden, causing civilian casualties.

The fragile 2022 truce ultimately unraveled after the Houthis permitted an Iranian airplane to land in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace. Since then, the conflict has deepened, with both sides engaging in frequent military actions amid broader regional tensions.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.