Wreckage of a vehicle in a location given as Marib Governorate, Yemen, after what Houthi military media said was the targeting of government forces' armoured vehicles, in this screengrab obtained from a video released Oct 12, 2026. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Arabia struck Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Tuesday, Houthi media reported, as the Iran-aligned group threatened retaliation against Saudi oil facilities amid a rapid escalation of the war.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said a Saudi-led coalition had hit the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Sabah central station, a fuel depot on the outskirts of Sanaa. The coalition had earlier warned civilians to stay away from the site.
The Yemen Petroleum Company said the facility was not holding petroleum stocks and that the strike had not affected oil reserves or supply chains.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree had warned of a “harsh and painful” response to any strikes on Sanaa, naming Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran and an oil refinery in Riyadh as possible targets. The group also renewed warnings to oil workers in Saudi Arabia to stay away from sites it might attack.
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis would face consequences for repeated attacks on the kingdom.
The escalation follows a Houthi ballistic missile strike on Riyadh airport on Saturday that killed 13 people, according to the report. Further attacks have grounded flights across Saudi Arabia as the kingdom hosts a major energy conference.
Yemen’s civil war reignited last month after the Houthis made rapid gains along the Red Sea coast towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia has resumed military operations in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has become more important for Saudi and global energy shipments since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the US-Iran war in February. Government forces have pushed the Houthis away from areas closest to Bab el-Mandeb, while the group has made gains around Taiz this month.
Saudi Arabia has sought more support from its allies as it tries to counter Houthi missile and drone attacks. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday that Ankara would stand by the kingdom, the Turkish presidency said.
US President Donald Trump also spoke to the Saudi crown prince, telling reporters that the Houthis were “behaving very badly”. Trump said he might ask Erdogan to intervene in support of Saudi interests.
Washington, Riyadh’s strongest ally, has so far rejected Saudi efforts to draw it directly into the conflict against the Houthis.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Tehran was willing to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a position reiterated by the foreign ministry on Monday.