Houthis intensify attacks on Saudis - explosions heard in Riyadh

An air raid siren was declared in Riyadh after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched missiles. Explosions were heard in the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia had previously warned of the threat of attacks from Iran-backed Houthis. The escalation of the conflict in Yemen intensified in July. The Houthis vowed retaliation, claiming to have thwarted Riyadh's "criminal attempts" in Sanaa.

On Saturday, two explosions were heard in Riyadh after Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels fired missiles toward Saudi Arabia. The kingdom's civil defense service had declared an air raid alert in the capital beforehand. This is the first such alert in Riyadh since the escalation of the conflict in neighboring Yemen, which intensified in July. Hours before the attack, the Houthis claimed to have thwarted "criminal attempts" they said were orchestrated by Saudi Arabia in the capital Sanaa, and vowed retaliation. The spread of hostilities to Yemen and Saudi Arabia has heightened concerns over oil supplies, threatening an alternative export route for Gulf states through the Red Sea, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted. Earlier, Kursor reported that Riyadh, with Omani mediation, had proposed a two-week truce with the Houthis, as well as the first human casualty in Saudi Arabia since the escalation began—debris from an intercepted drone fell in a residential area of Taif province.