Houthis claim six attacks on Saudi sites; coalition says it intercepted two missiles

Yemen's Houthis say they carried out six missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera and Infobae both report that the claims could not be independently verified.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree listed the targets in a statement:

• the Ras Tanura refinery
• an Aramco facility in Abqaiq
• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh
• King Fahd International Airport in Dammam
• the Rabigh refinery
• a Saudi military headquarters or command centre in the Najran region

Both outlets report the following weapons:

• Ras Tanura and Rabigh: ballistic missiles
• Riyadh airport: multiple missiles
• Dammam airport: a drone

The Houthis made the announcement on Thursday. It came after Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh. Warnings of potential threats were issued in Riyadh, Al-Kharj and Najran.

According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said shrapnel from the interception wounded one Saudi citizen in Riyadh. A spokesperson for the agency told the state-run news agency that shrapnel also damaged a house and a vehicle.

Infobae, which credits AFP and EFE, reported the following:

• At least eight explosions were heard in Riyadh before the interceptions were announced.
• Authorities sent a phone alert about a hostile aerial threat.
• The warning for Al-Kharj and Najran was later withdrawn.
• Air traffic in Dammam may have been disrupted. Infobae did not give a source for this.

The attacks came days after a meeting in Tehran. According to Al Jazeera, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan concluded the meeting on Monday. An official Iranian press release carried by the Fars news agency said "participants agreed to continue discussions to strengthen cooperation between the four regional countries". According to Al Jazeera, Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei hosted the meeting. Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended.

What is disputed

The two outlets describe the Houthi claim differently. Al Jazeera reports that the Houthis said they targeted the sites. It does not specify that the Abqaiq attack used a ballistic missile. Infobae reports that, according to the spokesperson, ballistic missiles hit Ras Tanura, Rabigh and Abqaiq.

The reports do not establish whether the two missiles intercepted near Riyadh are the same missiles the Houthis say they fired at the airport. The reports also include no response from Saudi authorities or Aramco about the other sites.

What each side says

According to Infobae, the Houthis presented the attacks as a response to Saudi aggression and to recent bombings. They said those bombings caused dozens of casualties, mostly women and children. Infobae quoted the group as warning of "bloqueo por bloqueo" (blockade for blockade) and "escalada por escalada" (escalation for escalation). The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported an initial toll of 12 killed and three seriously injured in a strike on homes in Al-Barah, Taiz province. The ministry blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike.

After the Tehran meeting, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry stressed "the importance of opening channels of negotiation to prevent a return to military escalation", according to Al Jazeera.

Yemen's internationally recognised government urged the UN Security Council to take "deterrent and punitive measures" against Houthi attacks on Aden International Airport. According to Infobae, civilians were injured when Houthi forces struck that airport.

Infobae also reported that hostilities resumed this year, ending a truce that had held since 2022. Citing UN figures, it said more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 275,000 displaced since the conflict resumed.

Analysis

The Houthi claims and the coalition's account overlap only partly. The coalition confirmed two interceptions over Riyadh. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not independently confirm the other four claimed attacks or any damage from them. If Saudi authorities or Aramco later disclose damage, the picture could change. The timing, days after Saudi, Iranian, Turkish and Pakistani officials met in Tehran, may test the diplomatic channel Riyadh says it wants to open. Escalation and renewed talks both remain possible outcomes. Al Jazeera reported no independent corroboration of the Houthi claims, and the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not cite evidence that would settle the competing accounts.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.