SAUDI Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh on Wednesday as fresh explosions were heard in the capital, intensifying pressure on the kingdom amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on strategic infrastructure.
AP reported that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the latest incident, although Saudi civil defence issued air raid alerts in Riyadh and Kharj province, home to Prince Sultan Air Base and the state-owned Military Industries Corporation.
The Houthis claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport, oil facilities in Dhahran — where Saudi oil giant Aramco is headquartered — and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh, describing them as retaliation for Saudi strikes on rebel-held areas of Yemen.
The latest escalation comes as US President Donald Trump weighs whether Washington should join Saudi-led strikes against the rebels, whose attacks have heightened security concerns and rattled global markets.
The airport in Riyadh has been targeted repeatedly over the past week, with earlier attacks reportedly killing 17 people and injuring more than 300, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia has also faced growing pressure on its air defences as it attempts to intercept missiles and drones across a territory roughly three times the size of Texas. Regional officials have warned that the kingdom, a major purchaser of US weapons, is running low on missile interceptors.
The Houthis possess a substantial arsenal capable of striking targets more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) away, with some warheads able to change direction during flight.
Even successful interceptions can cause damage. Saudi civil defence said debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell on residential areas in Riyadh overnight, injuring four people, including a child, and damaging 15 homes.
The rebels have also warned of further attacks on airports and oil facilities, prompting airlines to suspend operations and withdraw aircraft. On Tuesday, a fire broke out in an administrative building at an Aramco-operated facility.
Meanwhile, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have targeted Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in support of the internationally recognised government.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry said two people were killed and two others wounded in a Tuesday airstrike on a state oil company facility in the Ras Isa port area of Hodeida province, blaming Saudi Arabia. The coalition also struck an oil facility in Sanaa, the report said.
The targeting of fuel storage facilities in rebel-held areas signals a new phase in the coalition’s campaign, said Ahmed Nagi, senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group.
He warned that the prolonged conflict could erode the Houthis’ military capabilities.
“The Houthis are betting on pressure, while the Saudis are betting on time. The Houthis are trying to strike critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia to raise the cost of continued military intervention and support for the Yemeni government,” Nagi said.
The fighting escalated this year after the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for an attack on the airport in rebel-held Sanaa. The rebels subsequently declared a blockade against the kingdom, prompting a major military offensive by the Saudi-led coalition about 11 days ago - October 14, 2026