Houthis Strike Saudi Targets as Yemen Conflict Intensifies

The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen claimed responsibility for drone and missile strikes on multiple targets in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in Rabigh. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that the attacks also targeted military installations and smaller airports in southern Saudi Arabia. Explosions were reported in Riyadh on Monday evening following the strikes.

The escalation comes as Yemen’s Saudi-backed military launched a major offensive against the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, conducting over 1,000 strikes. The Saudi-led coalition reported destroying Houthi targets along the Red Sea coast, marking a significant intensification of the conflict. A Saudi energy sector source confirmed that an attack on Sunday had halted pumping through the East-West pipeline, a crucial route for Saudi oil exports since Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the wider Middle East war.

Oil prices had already surged due to the broader regional conflict, and Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser warned that global oil inventories were 'scarily thin' because of the war. Speaking at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London, Nasser emphasized that the global energy system was already under severe strain. The latest fighting follows the collapse of a ceasefire that had been in place since 2022, with hostilities resuming in July after the Houthis accused Saudi-backed forces of striking Sanaa’s airport.