Houthi claims of missile attacks on Riyadh’s Aramco facility challenged by Saudi-led coalition spokesperson, labeling them as deceptive.
Published On 4 Oct 2026
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Updated: 14 hours ago
The conflict in Yemen continues to escalate, with the Houthi movement claiming responsibility for an attack on an Aramco facility located in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. This assertion comes amid increasing hostilities between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced in a statement on X over the weekend that the operation involved “ballistic missiles and drones,” and suggested that their strikes were both “precise and direct,” resulting in fires at the oil facility. A significant column of smoke was reportedly observed in the vicinity of the Aramco site.
Responses from the Saudi-Led Coalition
However, Turki al-Maliki, the spokesperson for the coalition supporting Yemen’s government, refuted these claims, describing them as “misleading.” The Saudi-led coalition has not taken these assertions lightly and responded with significant military actions.
In a coordinated attack early on Sunday, the coalition reported conducting 97 targeted operations against Houthi positions along the Tor al-Baha front and the Taiz axis, utilizing a variety of military assets, including warplanes and drones. Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili from Yemen’s governmental forces stated that these operations resulted in the elimination of at least 260 Houthi fighters and the destruction or disabling of 44 military vehicles.
Recent Houthi Activities
This is not the first allegation by the Houthis against Saudi oil installations. Not long ago, they claimed to have targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu, located on the coast of the Red Sea. In response, Saudi Arabia reported the interception of six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, confirming that there was no damage to the sites. Furthermore, the coalition accused the Houthis of attacking a power station in Medina just earlier this week.
Background and Implications
The escalation of fighting marks a significant shift since the collapse of a tenuous truce in July 2022. The Houthis made notable advancements in mid-September, seizing control of the port city of Mocha and key islands within the Bab al-Mandeb strait—crucial for global oil transport—before anti-Houthi forces could regain their footing. The resurgence of this conflict has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Since 2014, when the Houthis captured the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, the war in Yemen has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe, with millions suffering from unmet needs amidst ongoing violence.
