Yemen Houthis Strike Saudi Sites as Coalition Launches Major Offensive

Iran-backed Houthis announced on October 5, 2026, that they struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco oil refinery, and other sites in southern Saudi Arabia. Loud explosions rattled the Saudi capital on Monday evening during the attacks.

Military Operations

The strikes followed an ambitious push by Riyadh and Yemeni government allies to retake all territory held by the group. The Saudi-led coalition said 100 warplanes flew sorties at dawn, while the Yemeni military stated it carried out over 1,000 strikes and began an offensive against the capital, Sanaa. Turki Al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said naval forces hit Houthi targets on the Red Sea coast in Hodeida, destroying weapons depots, naval mines, and facilities storing booby-trapped boats. Pro-government forces also drove the Houthis from areas surrounding the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, including the port city of Mocha, Dhubab airport, the Al-Omari military camp, and parts of Taiz.

International Response

Pakistan and Turkiye pledged to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defence pact signed in August. Representatives from the three nations held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on September 5 to ensure rapid deployment, though the statement did not specify the exact role the troops will fill. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalation and condemned the cross-border attacks.

Economic Impact

The fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 1,84,000 people, according to the United Nations. A Saudi energy sector source told AFP that a Sunday attack halted pumping on the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea. Saudi Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser warned at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London that global oil stockpiles are scarily thin and the system is straining due to the war.

Context

The Houthis previously controlled much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa and Hodeida, before seizing additional coastline last month. The group has frequently targeted neighbouring Saudi Arabia and its oil infrastructure since Yemen's civil war flared again, adding pressure to global energy markets already affected by the wider West Asia conflict.