Yemen’s Houthi movement on October 3 claimed it had launched a combined missile and drone attack against Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.
In a statement, the Iran-aligned group said it deployed several ballistic missiles and combat drones against what it described as strategic targets in the Saudi capital.
The Houthis claimed the operation successfully hit its intended locations and warned that attacks on sensitive economic facilities would continue until military operations in the region were brought to an end.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Saudi authorities or Saudi Aramco regarding the reported attack. Saudi civil defense officials also reported no casualties or damage to infrastructure in Riyadh, while commercial monitoring data indicated that the kingdom’s refining and oil-export operations continued normally.
The reported strike came amid renewed fighting inside Yemen. Yemeni army officials said government forces had killed 700 Houthi fighters during 257 military operations across the country. They also reported 260 casualties in 97 operations carried out on southern fronts.
The latest claim comes after a period in which direct Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities declined following a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022. However, tensions involving the group have persisted in nearby maritime areas, particularly the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where attacks have affected international commercial shipping.
The development also comes as regional security discussions are being held in Riyadh, focusing on cross-border missile and drone threats within the framework of joint defense arrangements.
Saudi Aramco has previously been the target of major attacks. In September 2019, drones and missiles struck the company’s Abqaiq oil-processing complex and Khurais oil field, temporarily disrupting more than half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.
Another attack occurred in March 2022, when drones targeted petroleum storage facilities in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
The latest Houthi claim could further intensify scrutiny of security around Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure, although there was no independent confirmation that the alleged October 3 strikes caused damage or disrupted oil operations.
