The United States has issued warnings of a potential rapid escalation in the Middle East following a missile attack on Riyadh by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. This marks the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since the Yemen conflict recently resumed. Following the incident, US President Donald Trump unexpectedly cut short a weekend stay at Camp David and returned to the White House on September 19.
The attack represents a new threshold in the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a group that controls significant portions of Yemen. On September 19, loud explosions were heard in Riyadh, and a fuel tank bearing the logo of the oil giant Aramco was seen on fire near the city’s airport. In response to the unrest, the US State Department warned that the conflict could escalate rapidly and advised American citizens outside the Middle East to seriously reconsider traveling to or through the region.
According to the Riyadh-led coalition, a ballistic missile launched toward the capital was successfully intercepted and destroyed by the monarchy’s air defenses. The coalition also reported that Houthi fighters attempted to target civilian infrastructure in multiple cities, including the crucial Red Sea export hub of Yanbu. Following the thwarted attacks, Saudi Arabia retaliated with numerous airstrikes on Houthi-held territories.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility, stating the group carried out military operations using drones and ballistic and cruise missiles to target sensitive sites in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. These strikes follow a recent lightning offensive by the Houthis that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced over 110,000 people, disrupting both maritime traffic and Saudi oil exports.
Residents of Riyadh received early morning alerts urging them to stay indoors due to a hostile aerial threat. The strike comes just days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of a “cowardly terrorist attack” targeting Mecca, an allegation the rebel group vehemently denied.
Meanwhile, as the conflict intensifies, reports indicate the US recently refused a Saudi request to strike the Houthis. However, to help Riyadh deter threats, Washington did approve a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on September 17.