Saudi Arabia Strikes Sanaa Oil Site; Houthis Threaten Saudi Targets

Yemen’s Houthi movement reported Saudi Arabia struck an oil facility near the capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

This reported attack followed an evacuation warning from the Saudi-led coalition, though the coalition had not confirmed the strike. An AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported hearing an explosion. In response to the warning, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree threatened to target Riyadh’s international airport, a refinery, and an Aramco facility in Dammam if Saudi forces attacked.

The Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated the Houthis would face consequences for their repeated attacks on the Kingdom and pledged to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait. This exchange follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. A Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, forcing the airport's closure.

Another attack on Sunday killed one person and wounded 11 at the airport. Saudi authorities also reported intercepting three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam sustained unspecified damage on Sunday. At least 20 people, including a U.S. national, have died in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports over the past week.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that the Houthis are behaving very badly and are trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Trump declined to say if the U.S. would strike the group. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh warned Americans that Saudi Arabia has detained citizens for photographing recent missile and drone attacks.

The State Department advised Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying in or around the Kingdom.