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Explosions were reported in and around Riyadh and Al-Kharj early amid reports of a large-scale ballistic missile attack by Iran-aligned Houthi group Ansarallah
targeting sites in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Civil Defence issued an alert over potential danger in the capital and several other cities as reports of incoming missiles emerged. Flight-tracking data also showed some flights into Riyadh International Airport being diverted or placed on hold. Footage circulating online reportedly showed an explosion near Riyadh and Al-Kharj, while another clip appeared to show a ballistic missile descending as a Patriot interceptor seemingly missed its target. The reports and footage have not been independently confirmed by Saudi authorities.
Saudi Civil Defence Says Danger Has Passed
Saudi Civil Defence later said the danger had passed in Riyadh and Al-Kharj after earlier alerts were issued through the National Early Warning Platform.
In separate posts on X, the authority urged residents to continue following civil defence instructions and avoid gathering or filming.
The authorities also warned the public against posting footage of the reported strikes online.
The reported attack comes about a week after Houthi rebels stormed down Yemen's Red Sea coast, extending their reach toward a key maritime chokepoint and increasing concerns over Saudi Arabia's oil exports.
The Houthi advance has been described as the group's biggest land grab in years and has reignited Yemen's 12-year civil war while contributing to higher global fuel prices. The developments have also given Iran another potential source of leverage as the United States has started to loosen Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis have also been firing at Saudi oil facilities and tankers. An attack on Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline, blamed on Iran-backed militias in Iraq, has added to concerns over the kingdom's energy infrastructure and rattled global markets.
The rebel offensive has forced about 125,000 Yemenis to flee their homes, while the civil war has killed more than 150,000 people and at times pushed the country toward famine.
The Houthis now appear to be eyeing Yemen's oil-rich east, with Yemen's Saudi-backed government and an array of forces that have fought one another as recently as January standing in their way. Saudi Arabia's key ally, the United States, appears to be sitting out the latest fighting.
