A Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Tuesday against oil facilities in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, in a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict. The coalition issued a rare warning urging residents to evacuate the area around the Yemeni Oil Company’s storage site in Al-Subaha, located on a hill overlooking the city, ahead of the strike. The Yemeni Oil Company stated that storage facilities in the area were empty, asserting that the attack would not impact oil reserves or supplies for civilians.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree warned that any Saudi attacks on Sanaa would trigger a “firm and painful” retaliation targeting Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. The Houthis reported that two key oil facilities, including the one in Sanaa and another in the port city of Hodeidah, had been struck by Saudi airstrikes. The strike on the Hodeidah facility reportedly killed at least two people, according to the Houthi-run health ministry spokesman Anis al-Asbahi.
The strikes followed a weekend in which the Houthis launched a missile and drone attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing at least 13 people and injuring over 300. Saudi authorities intercepted numerous projectiles fired toward Riyadh and other southern locations on Tuesday night, including four cruise missiles, two drones, and a ballistic missile aimed at Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia. Debris from the intercepted missile reportedly fell in Dhahran, home to Saudi energy giant Aramco’s headquarters. The Houthis have threatened retaliation against Aramco’s facilities and Riyadh’s airports if Saudi strikes on Yemeni oil sites continue.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemned the Houthi attacks as “heinous” and warned that the militia would face consequences for the assault on the kingdom’s airport. The coalition framed the strikes on Yemeni oil infrastructure as efforts to neutralize Houthi military capabilities, accusing the militia of using civilian sites to further their war effort. However, the coalition did not confirm specific targets.
The conflict intensifies amid the Houthis’ recent seizure of strategic positions along the Bab al Mandab strait, a critical shipping route near Yemen’s southwestern coast. Saudi-led forces, supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, are attempting to push back the militia’s advances in regions including the key city of Taiz, where ongoing clashes have caused casualties on both sides.
Regional responses have highlighted concerns about the widening conflict. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and urged diplomacy to reduce tension, emphasizing the need for a political resolution to avoid further instability. The International Committee of the Red Cross also appealed for de-escalation, warning that further military operations would deepen suffering across the region’s civilian populations.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to provide intelligence and planning assistance to the Saudi-led coalition but has refrained from direct military engagement against the Houthis. U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have publicly condemned Houthi actions but have resisted calls for expanded involvement, citing concerns over potential regional ramifications, such as disruptions to maritime traffic through Bab al Mandab.
The sustained hostilities between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition have prolonged Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and heightened tensions across the Middle East, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.