The Saudi‑led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels said it intercepted two missiles launched toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as well as a third missile directed at the kingdom’s southern region.
Coalition spokesperson Major‑General Turki al‑Maliki said the Iran‑backed Houthi movement was responsible for the attacks that occurred on Tuesday.
In a series of posts on X, he said that a ballistic missile and a cruise missile were intercepted and destroyed over Riyadh, and that a second ballistic missile was downed over the southern part of the country.
AFP reported that multiple explosions were heard in Riyadh, and residents received text‑message alerts urging them to take shelter because of an “aerial threat.”
A subsequent message from the country’s civil defence agency said the danger had passed.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.
The strikes represent the most recent of a succession of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, occurring amid ongoing hostilities in Yemen between the Houthi movement and the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which receives support from Riyadh.
The coalition has backed a Yemeni government offensive to recapture territory through air strikes, while the Houthi forces have repeatedly attacked Saudi oil infrastructure—including refineries and storage facilities—using drones and missiles.
On Monday, the East‑West oil pipeline in the Medina region was attacked again. A Saudi Energy Ministry official told the state‑run SPA news agency that the strike caused a “limited fire” that was extinguished and that “pipeline operations were unaffected.”
The pipeline remains a crucial conduit for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports, a role that has expanded after Tehran imposed restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following the US‑Israel conflict with Iran.
The facility has been targeted in several attacks, a development tied to the ongoing war on Iran that is deepening the global energy crisis.
On Sunday, the Houthis also said they attacked Riyadh’s business district.
Saudi officials said falling debris from an “attempted attack” had caused minor damage to the Aramco Tower.
Photographs released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) showed the deputy governor of the Riyadh region, accompanied by other officials, inspecting the building, where damage was evident on multiple floors. The images highlighted the extent of the structural damage across several levels.
Why it matters
The missile interceptions highlight escalating regional security risks and threats to critical energy infrastructure amid ongoing conflict involving Houthi forces.