Saudi-Riyadh Conflict Escalates as US Warns of Rapid Growth

The US State Department warned that fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis could escalate rapidly after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.

US President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House on Saturday, as the situation in the Middle East intensified.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, where AFP journalists saw a fuel tank bearing the logo of oil giant Aramco on fire near the airport.

The Houthis' lightning offensive has left hundreds dead and displaced over 110,000 people, according to the UN refugee agency, and disrupted exports from Saudi Arabia, the world's leading supplier of crude oil.