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Saudi Arabia Intercepts 6 Houthi Missiles Targeting Riyadh
Confirmed
In Short: The Saudi-led coalition intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, marking a significant escalation in the widening regional conflict.
The Saudi-led coalition intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, marking a significant escalation in the widening regional conflict.
Maj. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition, confirmed that the missiles were intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces.
The Houthis claimed to have targeted facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, one of the kingdom’s strategically important energy hubs.
Saudi authorities reported no casualties or confirmed damage from the missile attack on Riyadh, but the Houthi claims regarding specific targets and damage have not been independently verified.
In early September, the Iran-aligned group launched missiles and drones at sites across Saudi Arabia, marking a drastic escalation in the fighting.
The confrontation has intensified rapidly, with the Houthis launching attacks against Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and maritime interests.
The Saudi-led coalition said it will respond “firmly” to Houthi strikes on urban areas that injured 13 people in the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are continuing to prevent the Saudi-Houthi confrontation from developing into an even broader regional war.
Turkey has said it is prepared to assist Saudi Arabia with military needs under a recently signed trilateral defence agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The latest attacks mark a sharp resurgence in a conflict dating to 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government.
A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, but hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July and gained control of critical nodes on the country’s Bab al-Mandeb coastline.
What this adds
The attempted strike represents the first reported Houthi attack targeting Riyadh since the latest escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Yemen-based movement began in July.
Background
The Iran-backed Houthis say they targeted Saudi Arabia's capital with missiles, but Saudi defenses intercepted them.
The Saudi-led coalition forces fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Saturday that the Iran-backed group fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh, which was intercepted and destroyed by the coalition’s air defences.
What's confirmed
- The Saudi-led coalition intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, marking a significant escalation in the widening regional conflict.
- Maj. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition, confirmed that the missiles were intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces.
- The Houthis claimed to have targeted facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, one of the kingdom’s strategically important energy hubs.
- Saudi authorities reported no casualties or confirmed damage from the missile attack on Riyadh, but the Houthi claims regarding specific targets and damage have not been independently verified.
- In early September, the Iran-aligned group launched missiles and drones at sites across Saudi Arabia, marking a drastic escalation in the fighting.
- The confrontation has intensified rapidly, with the Houthis launching attacks against Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and maritime interests.
- The Saudi-led coalition said it will respond “firmly” to Houthi strikes on urban areas that injured 13 people in the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif on Tuesday.
- Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are continuing to prevent the Saudi-Houthi confrontation from developing into an even broader regional war.
- Turkey has said it is prepared to assist Saudi Arabia with military needs under a recently signed trilateral defence agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
- The latest attacks mark a sharp resurgence in a conflict dating to 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis seized Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government.
- A UN-brokered truce in April 2022 largely halted Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, but hostilities have escalated again since the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in July and gained control of critical nodes on the country’s Bab al-Mandeb coastline.
What's still developing
- You are here Home saudi arabia intercepts 6 ballistic houthi missiles Saudi Arabia intercepts 6 ballistic Houthi missiles This screen grab taken from video footage released on August 9, 2026 by Houthi affiliated media shows a missile being launched.
- “Escalations and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly,” he said.
- Saudi Arabia issued a security alert on Tuesday in the holy city of Mecca for the first time since the Houthis last attempted to target the sacred area in 2017.
- The Houthis have previously denied targeting Mecca, saying that they do not target holy sites.
- The same alert was activated for Taif and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city.
- In a statement to Yemen’s SABA news agency on Tuesday, a Houthi military source strongly rejected the claim that Houthi forces pose a threat to the city of Mecca or other Islamic holy sites.
- “In recent days, Washington has received a clear warning from Iran’s new missiles. Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter. The operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated,” Rezaei said.
- Rezaei was likely referring to the Qassem Basir ballistic missile that Iranian media reported was fired at U.S. warships near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said its warships evaded any missile attacks.
- Oil exports have fallen sharply, its critical infrastructure is under attack, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious plans to convince global investors that Saudi Arabia is stable, secure and open for business are taking a beating.
- On paper, Saudi Arabia has an enormous military and economic advantage over the Houthis—a non-state movement in a country where nearly two-thirds of households lack adequate food, according to the World Food Program.
- Riyadh could therefore "accept the new reality and return to the political track, including addressing some of the Houthis’ demands," to settle the conflict and prevent further damage to its energy infrastructure, Ahmed Nagi, senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Newsweek.
- "There is still a deal to be had, but it would be an exit arrangement for Saudi Arabia rather than peace for Yemen," Andreas Krieg, an expert on Middle East security and senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London, told Newsweek.
Sources
- Arabnewslink
- Sunatimes.comlink
- Al Jazeeralink
- Wtvbamlink
- Newsweeklink
- Fxstreetlink
- Newslink
- Nypostlink
- Israelnationalnewslink
- Arkansasonlinelink
- Telanganatodaylink
- BBClink
- Tvcnewslink
- WarpBeat — background on Houthis say they targeted Saudi capital with ballistic missiles link
- WarpBeat — background on Saudi-led Coalition Intercepts Houthi Missile in Riyadh link
- Reuters — video link