Houthis Claim Missile Strike on Saudi Oil Refinery, Warn Egypt Over Support for Riyadh
The claim came as Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three ballistic missiles and a Houthi official warned Egypt against backing the kingdom’s defence, amid diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Yemen’s Houthis on Tuesday claimed they had targeted Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery with a ballistic missile, while Saudi authorities reported intercepting three missiles aimed at the kingdom’s Eastern Province, highlighting escalating tensions around the world’s largest crude oil exporter.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a post on X that the group’s forces had struck the refinery, describing the attack as successful and claiming it caused “massive fires.”
The claim could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
Ras Tanura, located on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, is a major oil refining and export hub. Any disruption to its operations could raise concerns about the security of Saudi energy infrastructure and the stability of global oil supplies.
Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Eastern Province. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki announced the interceptions on X, describing the projectiles as missiles fired by the “terrorist Houthi militia.”
The competing accounts underscored the heightened security risks facing Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks against the kingdom have intensified in recent weeks.
Houthis warn Egypt over support for Saudi Arabia
The latest developments coincided with a sharp escalation in rhetoric from the Houthis over regional efforts to support Saudi Arabia’s defence.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s political bureau, said Egypt’s parliamentary decision to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia amounted to a declaration of war against Yemen.
In a statement posted on Telegram, al-Houthi criticised Cairo’s position, arguing that Egypt’s support for the kingdom contradicted diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions across the region.
“It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call ‘peace in the region’, Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen,” he said.
Al-Houthi also described the recently established Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defence pact as “a clear and blatant act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” adding that the Houthis were “not afraid of any alliance that may be formed.”
His remarks came after Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir and Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin travelled to Tehran on Monday for talks intended to help de-escalate tensions amid the wider Middle East conflict.
The delegation met Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye recently signed a defence pact in Mecca that states an attack on one member should be considered an attack on all three. However, neither Pakistan nor Türkiye has publicly announced military strikes against the Houthis in response to the group’s recent attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The absence of announced military action has raised questions about how the agreement would operate in practice if one of its members came under sustained attack.
Renewed conflict threatens regional security and energy supplies
The latest confrontation follows the collapse of a fragile truce in Yemen’s conflict, which had been in place since 2022. Tensions intensified in July after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Sanaa in defiance of Saudi restrictions on Yemeni airspace, triggering a new series of attacks.
The Houthis subsequently announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and began attacking ships, Saudi territory and oil facilities. In September, the group also launched a major offensive, seizing territory held by Yemen’s internationally recognised government along the Red Sea coast.
The Houthis have reported frequent Saudi strikes against areas under their control in response to their operations.
This month, the group intensified its attacks on Saudi Arabia, reportedly contributing to the cancellation of major events and a two-week shutdown of Riyadh’s airport.
The growing confrontation presents a challenge for Saudi Arabia as it seeks to protect critical energy infrastructure while pursuing diplomatic efforts to contain the wider regional conflict.
It also puts the newly established Mecca defence pact under scrutiny: whether its members will translate their mutual-defence commitment into coordinated action remains unclear.
For international energy markets, the security of Saudi oil facilities and shipping routes remains a central concern, particularly if attacks continue to threaten production, exports or the movement of crude through the Gulf and Red Sea region.