Sirens Sound in Riyadh as Houthi Advance Threatens Saudi Oil Hubs
Sirens sounded twice in Riyadh as Houthi rebels seized the Bab el-Mandeb strait, prompting Saudi Arabia to seek Western air defense aid amid dwindling interceptors.
Sirens sounded twice overnight in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for the first time since the dramatic advance of the Houthi rebels in Yemen and their seizure of the coastal strip, giving them control over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. Saudi Civil Defense later updated that the danger had passed, with no reports of damage or casualties.
According to Arab reports, explosions were heard across the capital. Sirens were also activated in the nearby Al-Kharj governorate. The first siren sounded around 3:00 AM Saudi time, and the second around 5:20 AM. Shortly before 1:00 AM, sirens sounded in the Farasan governorate, following waves of alerts across numerous areas including Yanbu, Taif, Jeddah, Khamis Mushait, Al-Ula, Jizan, and Abha.
In Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, a major oil export terminal is used by Saudi Arabia to export petroleum to the world and bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic remains sparse amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. Last week, the East-West Saudi oil pipeline feeding the Yanbu port was attacked and disabled. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq continue to deny involvement in the strike, while US President Donald Trump has directly blamed Iran.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has found a workaround for the crisis, with Reuters reporting that it is transferring oil between ships off the port of Sohar in Oman. The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that clashes between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have intensified on multiple fronts, alongside airstrikes and rapid shifts in control maps, particularly on the western coast and areas surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Houthi Escalation and Humanitarian Crisis
The Houthis stated that Saudi warplanes increased their airstrikes on areas under their control. Meanwhile, the humanitarian consequences of the fighting are worsening, with more than 112,000 people displaced since the beginning of the month, and urgent medical aid arriving in Sanaa to address shortages. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes, specifically F-15 jets taking off from the Khamis Mushait base, carried out 26 airstrikes in Taiz Governorate.
"Saudi warplanes, and specifically F-15 jets taking off from Khamis Mushait, carried out 26 airstrikes in Taiz Governorate," stated Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.
Khamis Mushait was among the locations where sirens were activated overnight, with Saree claiming that Saudi Arabia has carried out approximately 300 strikes in Yemen since the beginning of the week. AP reported this week that Saudi Arabia's stockpile of interceptor missiles is running low, prompting Riyadh to turn to Western and regional allies for assistance. According to the report, Saudi Arabia asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to send air defense assistance to the region to intercept missiles and drones launched by the Houthis or other Iran-backed militias.
US-Houthi Contacts in Oman
Reuters revealed that US officials met with Yemeni rebel representatives in Oman early in the week, where the Houthis informed the US that they intend to avoid attacking American vessels in the critical Bab el-Mandeb strait. The meeting, held at the US Embassy in Muscat, confirmed that the Houthis remain committed to the 2025 ceasefire agreement with the US and have no intention of targeting American ships. A Yemeni source told Reuters that the militia members also noted they would not attack Israeli ships or other commercial vessels, except those belonging to Saudi Arabia.
According to Riyadh, the Houthis launched a drone this week for the first time in the current round of clashes targeting the Saudi city of Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. Mecca houses the Kaaba and millions of pilgrims annually. While Saudi Arabia stated it intercepted the drone, it declared that the strike targeting Mecca—located about 1,100 kilometers from the Yemeni border—crosses a red line. The Houthis strongly denied launching an unmanned aerial vehicle toward Mecca.
