Houthis claim missile, drone strike on Aramco facility in Riyadh

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it launched a combined ballistic missile and drone attack on a Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday (October 3), claiming the strike caused fires at the site.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the operation had successfully hit its targets and was carried out in retaliation for Saudi-led airstrikes on Sanaa and other parts of Yemen.

He claimed Saudi forces had carried out around 60 strikes over the previous 24 hours.

A large plume of smoke and fire was seen near an Aramco facility in Riyadh, according to a witness cited by Reuters. However, Saudi authorities and Aramco had not confirmed that the facility was struck or provided details about the reported fire.

The Saudi-led coalition rejected the Houthi claims as misleading, saying the group was seeking to divert attention from its losses and growing public anger over its conduct.

The latest incident comes amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The group has intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets since announcing a naval blockade of the kingdom in July, while Saudi-led forces have stepped up strikes against Houthi-held areas in Yemen.

The renewed fighting has raised concerns over the security of Saudi energy infrastructure and the wider regional economic and security situation.