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Saudi Arabia issued air raid alerts in Riyadh and several other regions early Saturday for the first time since Yemen’s Houthis intensified attacks on the kingdom, as explosions were heard in the capital amid escalating fighting and threats to Red Sea shipping.
Shortly before 3 a.m., residents were warned of a “hostile aerial threat” and urged to remain indoors. Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reportedly heard two explosions, while Reuters reported two booms in Riyadh’s Olaya district.
Saudi Civil Defence later issued an all-clear. A second round of alerts was also issued for Riyadh and Al-Kharj before authorities again said the danger had passed. Saudi officials have not identified the source of the threat.
The Houthis have been fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces since a fragile truce collapsed in July, when the group also declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and began targeting Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed group recently seized Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including Mokha and Perim Island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It says its blockade is retaliation for Saudi restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-held areas.
The Houthis said this week they launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in response to more than 450 Saudi airstrikes. Riyadh also accused the group Wednesday of targeting Mecca, calling it a “cowardly terrorist attack,” an allegation the Houthis denied.
Last week, Houthi drones and missiles struck several Saudi oil facilities, causing fires and temporarily disrupting operations.
Saudi oil exports have relied more heavily on the Red Sea since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed following the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran in late February.
Kpler data showed Saudi exports through Bab el-Mandeb have declined since July, although five loaded ships passed through in the past week.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, CBS News reported, citing sources. Trump has so far declined direct U.S. military involvement while offering intelligence and targeting support.
The U.S. also approved the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on Thursday in a $24.3 billion package aimed at helping Riyadh “deter current and future threats.”
The U.N. Security Council on Friday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes affecting civilian and energy infrastructure, and called for freedom of navigation in the Red Sea to be maintained.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the attacks “unacceptable,” while the bloc expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and urged the Houthis to halt military action.
The renewed fighting has displaced more than 112,000 people, while nearly 3,000 have fled by sea to Djibouti, according to the U.N.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led intervention in 2015. The conflict has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and left more than 22 million in need of aid.
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