- Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi oil facilities after evacuation warning.
- This escalation follows recent Houthi attacks on Saudi targets.
- Egypt urged Houthis to halt attacks; Saudi seeks US support.
Houthi-linked media outlet Al-Masirah reported on Tuesday that the Saudi-led coalition had carried out airstrikes targeting oil facilities west of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
The report came shortly after a warning from the coalition’s spokesperson urging residents to evacuate the area for their safety. Witnesses in Sanaa said they heard explosions in the city.
The developments mark a fresh escalation in the widening Middle East crisis, with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition threatening new strikes against each other.
Saudi-Led Coalition Warns Residents To Evacuate
In a rare statement, the Saudi-led coalition called on civilians in Houthi-controlled Sanaa to evacuate the site of the Yemeni Oil Company and nearby storage facilities ahead of a possible strike.
The area identified for evacuation, al-Subaha in western Sanaa, lies on a hill overlooking the capital. While it is not a populated area, a nearby fuel station is used by the public.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree warned on Telegram that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would be met with a “firm and painful” response in Riyadh.
Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi-controlled media reported that the rebels had renewed their warning against the use of Saudi airspace. Several airlines have suspended services to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks on airports.
Houthis Threaten Saudi Arabia After Deadly Attacks
The exchange of threats comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to determine how its air defences failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones launched by the Houthis. The attacks included a strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday that killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the supplied report.
The latest phase of the conflict began last month after the Houthis seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic waterway at the southern end of the Red Sea that carries Gulf oil and other goods.
The Saudi-led coalition, which backs forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has been trying to retake the areas.
In a statement carried by the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency, the Houthi-run foreign ministry referred to Saudi Arabia as the “Kingdom of the Horn of Satan” and said the kingdom must recognise that security, stability and sovereignty must be shared, warning that otherwise no one would enjoy them.
Egypt Calls For Halt To Houthi Attacks
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday called on the Houthis to immediately halt attacks on Saudi Arabia.
“There is no justification for these attacks, and they cannot be accepted,” Abdelatty told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a phone call, according to an Egyptian readout.
Abdelatty also called for diplomacy and a political solution to the conflict between Iran and the United States to be prioritised to prevent further escalation and instability in the region.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted three drones north of Riyadh earlier on Tuesday. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the claim.
Saudi Arabia Seeks Greater US Support
Saudi Arabia has been pushing for the US military to provide more direct support in its campaign against the Houthis.
Washington has provided intelligence sharing, target identification and planning assistance for the Saudi-led offensive but has so far refrained from carrying out strikes against the rebels.
A direct US intervention could prompt the Houthis to target shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially disrupting oil flows from the Persian Gulf.
US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday that the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly”, but did not say whether Washington would respond to the rebels’ actions.
