Houthis claim drone and missile strike on Aramco facility in Riyadh

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile and drone strike on a Saudi Aramco oil facility in Riyadh, marking a major escalation in the region's long-running conflict.

While Saudi authorities and the state-owned oil giant have yet to officially confirm the attack, a witness told Reuters that a large plume of smoke and fire could be seen rising from the Aramco refinery south of the capital on Saturday.

Retaliatory strikes in Yemen

The reported strike has triggered immediate military retaliation. Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, confirmed its forces had launched strikes against Houthi military and strategic structures in the rebel-held capital of Sana'a and the northern province of Saada. A government spokesperson said the operations were designed to destroy Houthi military capabilities and warned that the campaign would continue.

Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the strike on Riyadh was a direct response to Saudi bombardment. Saree claimed that Saudi fighter jets had carried out 94 airstrikes across Yemen within a 24-hour period, targeting civilian areas in governorates including Sana'a, Saada, Taiz, and Hajjah. He claimed these raids brought the total number of Saudi strikes during the current escalation to 1,350, though some Houthi-aligned media outlets put the figure at 1,410.

Rising geopolitical tension

The renewed fighting marks a dangerous turn after the breakdown of a recent ceasefire. In recent weeks, the Iran-aligned Houthis have expanded their reach, seizing control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the critical Bab el Mandeb shipping strait.

The energy sector has become a primary target. Just last week, the Houthis claimed they had attacked Aramco facilities in the western city of Yanbu. Saudi authorities said at the time they had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu, reporting no damage to energy infrastructure.

It remains unclear how much damage was caused in Saturday’s strike in Riyadh, or if operations at the refinery have been disrupted. However, the geographical position of the conflict compounds global worries. Although Yemen itself is not a major oil producer, its proximity to critical maritime trade routes means any widening of the war poses a threat to global commerce. Analysts have warned of potential pressure on global oil prices and rising insurance costs for shipping lanes in West Asia.