Saudi air defences intercept ballistic missile over Riyadh after fresh explosions

UPDATE - follow-up to Explosions heard in Saudi capital Riyadh: AFP journalists: Multiple blasts shook Riyadh on Tuesday as the Saudi-led military coalition intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi group.

Threat Response

AFP journalists heard the explosions in the capital while residents received mobile phone alerts instructing them to take shelter from an aerial threat. The coalition stated on X that air defences destroyed the incoming missile. The civil defence agency later issued a message confirming the danger had passed, following an earlier interception of another missile headed toward the country's southern region overnight.

Recent Attacks

Saudi Arabia has faced near-daily strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis after a truce broke down in July. On Sunday, the group claimed attacks on Riyadh's business district, where witnesses reported damage to the Aramco Tower. Saudi authorities stated the building suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel, and the Riyadh region's deputy governor inspected the site on Tuesday. The Houthis have frequently targeted Aramco facilities and tankers, prompting the coalition to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi positions inside Yemen, including strikes on a gas facility and a state oil company building in Sanaa on Tuesday.

Context

This conflict involves a long-running regional war that escalated after the Houthis seized Sanaa and forced out the government. Saudi Arabia remains a major global energy exporter, making its oil infrastructure a frequent target in the cross-border hostilities.