The Yemeni Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on an Aramco oil facility in Riyadh on Saturday, October 3, which caused flames to break out. Shortly before, they had blamed the Saudi Army for 26 bombings against Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, which is under their control.
First modification: 04/10/2026 - 01:27
Tensions between the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia have escalated. Pro-Iran Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the attack carried out on Saturday, October 3, against an Aramco oil company facility in Riyadh, after blaming the Saudi Army for 26 air attacks against Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.
Hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have continued unabated since their resumption in July, opening a new front in the Middle East war.
The Houthis had already claimed to have attacked the Saudi oil group's facilities twice: last month in the port city of Yanbu, the kingdom's main oil terminal, and in August in southern Saudi Arabia.
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Houthi forces "carried out a large-scale military operation, using several ballistic missiles and drones to attack Aramco in the capital of the Saudi enemy," said Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebel group. The attacks, "precise and direct," caused "fires at the targets," he added.
Read alsoHouthis of Yemen: who are they and what do they represent?
At least five explosions in Sanaa
An AFP journalist reported seeing flames and smoke billowing from an Aramco facility south of the kingdom's capital. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment on the fire.
The Houthi-affiliated Almasirah channel had previously reported that the kingdom's "enemy aircraft" had carried out 26 strikes during the day in Sanaa, targeted for the first time in years on Thursday, according to the rebel group, without providing details on possible casualties.
In the Yemeni capital, an AFP correspondent heard at least five explosions in different sectors, while another saw two fighter jets launch missiles.
Almasirah had also previously reported Saudi missile strikes against "the telecommunications network in the Saada region," a Houthi stronghold in northern Yemen.
Read alsoBab el-Mandeb: what are the Houthis looking for in Yemen and what does Saudi Arabia fear?
The hunger crisis in Yemen threatens to become "absolutely devastating."
Fighting in Yemen intensified in September with a lightning offensive by the Houthis. They seized the Red Sea coast, strengthening their control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after imposing a blockade on the Saudi fleet.
This strait has gained importance since navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for the global hydrocarbon trade on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, was subjected to severe restrictions imposed by Iran at the end of February after the outbreak of war due to Israeli and American attacks.
The latest ground offensive by the Houthis has left hundreds dead and has worsened the humanitarian crisis plaguing the country. The hunger crisis in Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, threatens to become "absolutely devastating", the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned on Friday.
As diplomatic efforts to resolve the regional conflict stall, US news website Axios, citing three US officials, reported a meeting held on Friday at Camp David between key members of Donald Trump's cabinet to discuss next steps towards Iran and the situation in Yemen.
Riyadh's appeals for international help, particularly from its American ally, have so far been unsuccessful.
Read alsoAnother blow to the oil market?: Saudi Arabia closes strategic oil pipeline in the face of the Houthi offensive
With AFP
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