Ansar Allah (Houthis) Attacks Reach Saudi Capital—Aramco Tank Fire, Airport Disrupted

[Financial News] The offensive by Ansar Allah (Houthis), an Iran-aligned rebel group in Yemen, has spread to Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh. Riyadh issued its first air raid alert, while a fire broke out at a Saudi Aramco fuel tank near King Khalid International Airport, prompting widespread flight cancellations and delays. Concerns are growing that clashes between the two sides could escalate into an all-out war after the Houthis said they had attacked Riyadh and key oil facilities, and Saudi Arabia launched retaliatory airstrikes on rebel positions in Yemen.
According to foreign media reports and other sources on the 19th (local time), Saudi Civil Defense issued air raid alerts in several areas, including Riyadh, from the previous night through the morning. This was the first time an air raid alert had been issued in Riyadh since the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia last July and stepped up their attacks.
Reports of explosions in Riyadh came in one after another. Flames and black smoke were seen near King Khalid International Airport shortly after authorities announced that the danger had passed and lifted the alert.
AFP reported that a fire broke out at a fuel tank belonging to Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company, near the airport, and that firefighters were working to put it out. However, it could not be immediately confirmed whether the fire was directly caused by a Houthi attack.
Airport operations were also disrupted. According to Flightradar24, an aircraft-tracking service, the disruption index at King Khalid International Airport surged to 5.0, its highest level, as flight cancellations and lengthy delays continued.
The Houthis officially acknowledged an attack targeting mainland Saudi Arabia. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, said they had carried out two military operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, stating, "The first operation targeted sensitive facilities in Riyadh, while the second targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu."
He also said the Houthis would continue their attacks until Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen ended.
The Saudi-led coalition also confirmed that the Houthis had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh. Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the coalition, said the Saudi Air Force had intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile launched by the Houthis. He added that attacks targeting Bishah, Taif, the Farasan Islands and Yanbu had also been thwarted by air defenses.
The scope of the clashes between the two sides is also expanding rapidly. After recently taking control of Mocha port in western Yemen, the Houthis have expanded their offensive to Perim Island in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic chokepoint at the entrance to the Red Sea. Following Mecca and Jeddah, the capital, Riyadh, has now also come under threat of attack.
Saudi Arabia has responded with successive airstrikes on Houthi positions and communications facilities in Taiz Governorate and Hajjah Governorate, among other areas in Yemen. The Houthis claimed on the 16th that they had shot down a Saudi McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (F-15) fighter jet over Marib Governorate in Yemen with a surface-to-air missile.
Yemen's front, which had remained relatively calm since the 2022 ceasefire, has flared up again, accelerating moves by neighboring countries. Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, said, "Saudi Arabia may have some military needs," and indicated that the issue of support could be considered under the framework of the trilateral defense agreement Türkiye signed with Pakistan.

[email protected] Kim Hyun-jung Reporter