Saudi coalition orders Sanaa evacuation as Houthis threaten Aramco facilities, Riyadh airport

The Saudi-led military coalition on Tuesday ordered civilians to evacuate an oil facility in Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa ahead of a planned military operation, prompting the Iran-backed Houthi movement to threaten retaliatory attacks against Saudi Aramco installations and Riyadh's international airport.

The coalition's warning was directed at civilians in and around the Yemen Oil Company's Al-Sabaha Central Station, with military spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki releasing a map identifying the location. The announcement came amid a sharp escalation in fighting between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis, whose recent missile and drone attacks have disrupted air travel and heightened security concerns across the kingdom.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that any attack on Sanaa would trigger a severe response against targets in Saudi Arabia, including energy infrastructure and aviation facilities. The threats came as explosions were reported in the Yemeni capital following the coalition's evacuation announcement, while Houthi-affiliated media reported strikes on an oil installation.

𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Saudi-led coalition's Joint Forces Command instructed civilians to leave the Al-Sabaha oil facility in Sanaa before the commencement of military operations. Al-Maliki said the warning was intended to protect civilians and released a satellite image marking the area covered by the directive.

The coalition did not initially provide details about the nature or timing of the proposed operation. However, the warning followed a series of military exchanges between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, raising fears of further strikes against infrastructure in both countries.

Shortly after the announcement, explosions were heard in Sanaa, according to journalists reporting from the capital. Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television subsequently reported that an oil facility had been attacked. The reported strikes marked a further escalation in the confrontation, although the full extent of damage was not immediately clear.

𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀

Responding to the evacuation order, Saree declared that Saudi Aramco's oil installations were potential military targets and urged workers, engineers and civilians to stay away from facilities that could be attacked.

The Houthi spokesman specifically identified Aramco's headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in the Saudi capital as possible targets if the coalition proceeded with strikes against Sanaa.

Saree also renewed warnings to airlines operating in Saudi airspace and to passengers and airport personnel, reflecting the growing threat to civil aviation from the conflict.

The threats were conditional on further Saudi military action and did not, by themselves, establish that fresh attacks had been carried out against the named installations. Nevertheless, the public identification of major energy and aviation facilities underscored the risk of further escalation.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹

Reports of explosions in Sanaa emerged shortly after the Saudi coalition's evacuation directive. Houthi-controlled media claimed that airstrikes had struck an oil facility in the capital, while the group's military spokesman said its forces were confronting Saudi-backed military formations.

The Houthis subsequently claimed that the targeted oil facility had no military significance and was empty of petroleum products. That assertion could not be independently verified.

The developments followed several days of intensified military activity, including Saudi strikes against Houthi-controlled territory and attacks attributed to the Yemeni group against Saudi infrastructure.

The coalition also announced that its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday, indicating that aerial threats to the kingdom remained active.

𝗥𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗱𝗵 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

The latest confrontation follows deadly attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which have severely disrupted air traffic in Saudi Arabia. A missile strike claimed by the Houthis on Saturday reportedly killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, while another projectile attack on Sunday left one person dead and 11 wounded.

The attacks have prompted several international airlines to suspend or alter services to Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries. Among the carriers affected are Air India, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Etihad, Delta Air Lines, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways.

The French embassy in Saudi Arabia advised its nationals against travelling through airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, citing the deteriorating security situation. The United States embassy also urged American citizens to reconsider travel to the kingdom because of the threat of missile and drone attacks, armed conflict and terrorism.

The continuing disruption has raised concerns about the safety of civilian aviation and the wider economic consequences of attacks on transport infrastructure in one of the Middle East's principal commercial and energy hubs.

𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

Saudi Arabia's cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warned on Tuesday that the Houthis would face consequences for their repeated attacks on the kingdom. The government reaffirmed its determination to protect national security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The latest escalation is linked to fighting along Yemen's western coastline, where Houthi forces seized strategically important territory last month. Saudi Arabia has subsequently backed a counteroffensive by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government, while carrying out military operations against Houthi positions.

The confrontation has also drawn international reactions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for Saudi Arabia during a telephone conversation with the crown prince, while Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty indicated that Cairo was prepared to assist the kingdom in responding to security threats.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀

The Houthi threats against Saudi Aramco facilities have heightened concerns over the security of oil production, refining and transportation infrastructure in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia is among the world's largest crude oil exporters, and disruptions to its energy installations could have consequences for international oil markets.

The confrontation is unfolding against the backdrop of the wider conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, which has already disrupted maritime activity around the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping security concerns have intensified as attacks on commercial vessels and energy infrastructure threaten important international trade routes.

For Saudi Arabia, the immediate challenge is protecting its airports, oil facilities and population while continuing military operations against the Houthis. For Yemen, renewed fighting threatens to deepen an already prolonged humanitarian crisis, particularly if strikes affect fuel storage, transport infrastructure or densely populated areas.

With the coalition proceeding with military operations and the Houthis threatening retaliation against major Saudi installations, the latest developments have increased fears of a wider confrontation that could further disrupt aviation, energy supplies and maritime trade across the region.