Houthis Escalate Threats: Saudi Aramco Facilities and Airports Declared 'Legitimate Targets' Amidst Evacuation Warnings

Yemen's Houthi rebels have issued a stark warning to employees and civilians near Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, declaring them a "legitimate target" and urging immediate evacuation. The threat comes as Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree announced an evacuation alert on Tuesday, following a statement from the Saudi-led coalition that called for civilians to leave Yemen's Oil Company’s al-Sabah central station in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, ahead of a planned military operation.

Shortly after the coalition's evacuation order, Al Jazeera's team reported hearing explosions in Sanaa. Media outlets aligned with the Houthis indicated that air strikes by Saudi-backed forces had hit an oil facility in the al-Sabaha area of the capital. In response to the reported explosions, Saree stated that Houthi fighters were engaged in confrontations with Saudi-backed forces in Sanaa.

Saree further warned that any strikes on Sanaa would provoke a "harsh and painful" retaliation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital. In a statement shared on X, he specified that the Houthis would target the sites previously ordered for evacuation if the Saudi-led coalition proceeded with an attack on Sanaa. The evacuation warnings specifically mentioned the Aramco Company headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid International Airport, and an Aramco-affiliated refinery in Riyadh.

These threats follow a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, which resulted in at least 13 fatalities and over 300 injuries, significantly impacting the world's top crude oil exporter. Another individual was killed and 11 were wounded on Sunday when a projectile struck Riyadh's airport. Consequently, numerous international airlines, including Air France-KLM, Air India, Etihad, Lufthansa, Delta, Gulf Air, and Qatar Airways, have suspended flights to Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries.

The kingdom, a supporter of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, continued to face new attacks on Tuesday. The coalition reported intercepting three drones north of Riyadh. Saree also reaffirmed the Houthis' threats against Saudi Arabian airports, building on recent attacks targeting multiple airports and oil facilities across the country in recent weeks, which are seen as an extension of the broader regional conflict between the US and Iran.

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has conducted strikes against the Houthis and is supporting a Yemeni government counteroffensive named the “Dawn of Yemen,” launched after the Houthi group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.