Yemen’s Houthi rebels have threatened to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia’s airports and oil infrastructure after claiming strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities, including its headquarters complex in Dhahran,
as the conflict between the group and the kingdom escalates.
The warning came on Wednesday, a day after an attack on an administrative building at Aramco’s Dhahran complex triggered a fire. While Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry described the damage as limited and reported no casualties at the facility, sources cited by Reuters said the blaze spread across several floors, causing extensive damage.
Aramco’s operations were continuing normally, according to reports, although some employees were asked to work remotely and certain functions were shifted to offices elsewhere. The company had not immediately commented publicly on the attack.
Houthis Threaten Fresh Strikes
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted Aramco facilities in Dhahran, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in the Saudi capital using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
He warned that further operations against Saudi airports and oil facilities would follow in the coming days. The group also urged civilians, oil workers and international shipping companies to stay away from locations it considers legitimate military targets.
The claims came as explosions were heard in Riyadh on Wednesday, with the Saudi-led coalition saying it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the capital.
Saudi authorities have reported mounting civilian consequences. Debris from two intercepted Houthi cruise missiles injured four people in Riyadh, including two women, a man and a child, while 15 residential homes were damaged, according to Saudi Civil Defence reports.
The capital has faced repeated attacks in recent days. A strike on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, October 10, killed people and caused widespread disruption. The airport was subsequently closed until October 17, with airlines cancelling flights.
Saudi Strikes Deepen Conflict
The latest attacks followed Saudi-led coalition strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including locations in Sanaa, Dhamar and Saada. Riyadh said the operations targeted infrastructure used to support the group’s missile and drone campaign.
The Houthis have portrayed their attacks as retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s renewed military support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The conflict has intensified since the collapse of a fragile period of relative calm that followed a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. The kingdom backed the internationally recognised government against the movement, which is aligned with Iran. The war has since produced a prolonged humanitarian crisis and repeated threats to regional security.
The latest escalation also comes amid wider tensions involving the United States and Iran, adding to concerns that the conflict could spread beyond Yemen’s borders.
Oil Security And Economic Risks
The targeting of Aramco carries particular significance because the company is central to Saudi Arabia’s economy and oversees an extensive network of oil fields, pipelines, refineries and export terminals.
Dhahran, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, is a major centre of Saudi Arabia’s petroleum industry. Further attacks on energy infrastructure could unsettle oil markets and raise concerns about the security of production and export routes, even though Aramco’s operations were reported to be continuing.
The attacks also threaten Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic diversification drive, which seeks to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil and attract international investment.
