Saudi Arabia confirms Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with ballistic missile

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to strike Riyadh with a ballistic missile, and the coalition said it intercepted the attack. The statement came after residents in Riyadh heard an explosion and saw smoke near the airport, but no casualties or damage were reported. The Houthis also claimed attacks on Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan, while Saudi Arabia said they were thwarted.

The Saudi-led coalition said the ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh was intercepted.

Residents in Riyadh reported hearing an explosion and seeing smoke near the airport.

The coalition said the Houthis also tried to hit civilian infrastructure in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan.

The Houthis claimed, without evidence, that they targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco facilities in Yanbu and caused massive fires.

Regional officials told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support.

Published Sep 20, 2026 9:51 am KST

Large plume of black smoke rises from the fuel storage depot at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 19. Reuters-Yonhap

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia on Saturday confirmed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the Tehran-backed rebels that has opened a new front in the Iran war.

The statement by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the dawn attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion. Later, some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — and in Taif, Baysh and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details.

The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing “massive fires.” Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.

The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed they attacked with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones. He said Saudi Arabia had attempted to target the rebel-held city of Sanaa in neighboring Yemen, without giving details. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims.

Recent days have seen one escalation after another. On Thursday, the first civilian casualty was reported as the Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia.

A person watches Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea delivering a televised statement in Sana'a, Yemen, Sept. 19. EPA-Yonhap

And on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had tried to attack Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, with a drone that it said was intercepted, calling the security of the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad a “red line.” The Houthis fiercely denied the accusation.

The United States, a close Saudi ally, has signaled it has no current fight with the Houthis. Regional officials have told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and instead has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support.

Meanwhile, fighting has surged inside Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government. The rebels raced down the country's Red Sea coast over a week ago, seizing the key port city of Mokha and islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.

That has improved their surveillance of passing ships, though the Houthis have said they are only targeting Saudi ones.

The fighting in Yemen also marks a return to a devastating civil war after four years of relative calm.

沙特阿拉伯周六证实，也门胡塞武装试图用弹道导弹袭击利雅得，联军称已拦截了此次袭击。此前，利雅得居民听到爆炸声，并在机场附近看到浓烟，但没有人员伤亡或财产损失的报告。胡塞武装还声称对延布、塔伊夫、拜什和法拉桑发动了袭击，而沙特阿拉伯则表示这些袭击已被挫败。

沙特领导的联军称，瞄准利雅得的弹道导弹已被拦截。

利雅得居民报告称听到爆炸声，并看到机场附近冒出浓烟。

联军称，胡塞武装还试图袭击延布、塔伊夫、拜什和法拉桑的民用基础设施。

胡塞武装毫无证据地声称，他们袭击了沙特石油巨头阿美公司位于延布的设施，并引发了大规模火灾。

地区官员告诉美联社，沙特阿拉伯的导弹拦截器数量即将耗尽，已向法国、英国、巴基斯坦和埃及请求防空支持。

发布于2026年9月20日上午9:51（韩国标准时间）

9月19日，沙特阿拉伯利雅得哈立德国王国际机场的燃料储存库冒出滚滚黑烟。（路透社-韩联社）

开罗——沙特阿拉伯周六证实，也门胡塞武装试图用弹道导弹袭击其首都利雅得。这是自伊朗支持的胡塞武装与沙特军队的冲突升级以来，利雅得首次遭到袭击。此次冲突在伊朗战争中开辟了新的战线。

沙特领导的打击胡塞武装的联军发表声明时，距离黎明时分胡塞武装发动袭击的企图已过去很久。联军称袭击已被拦截。利雅得的一些居民听到爆炸声。随后，一些人看到机场附近冒出一股浓烟。目前尚无人员伤亡或财产损失的报告。

声明还称，胡塞武装试图袭击红海港口城市延布（沙特阿拉伯一条重要输油管道的终点站）以及塔伊夫、拜什和法拉桑的民用基础设施，但遭到挫败，声明没有提供更多细节。

胡塞武装此前声称，他们袭击了利雅得的“敏感地点”和沙特石油巨头沙特阿美公司位于延布的设施，并引发了“大规模火灾”，但并未提供任何证据。全球最大的石油公司沙特阿美公司未对此事作出回应。

另一条重要的全球航运走廊附近日益加剧的冲突给市场带来了新的压力。

胡塞武装发言人叶海亚·萨里准将声称，他们使用了巡航导弹、弹道导弹和无人机发动了袭击。他还表示，沙特阿拉伯试图袭击邻国也门境内由胡塞武装控制的城市萨那，但未透露更多细节。美联社无法独立核实这些说法。

近几日，局势不断升级。周四，沙特民防部门报告称，一架被拦截的胡塞武装无人机碎片击中，造成一名居住在沙特的也门公民死亡，这是沙特境内首例平民伤亡事件。

9月19日，在也门首都萨那，一名观众正在观看胡塞武装发言人叶海亚·萨雷亚发表电视讲话。（图片来源：EPA-Yonhap）

周三，沙特阿拉伯称胡塞武装试图用无人机袭击伊斯兰教圣城麦加，但无人机被拦截。沙特方面称，保护先知穆罕默德诞生地的安全是“红线”。胡塞武装强烈否认了这一指控。

美国作为沙特阿拉伯的亲密盟友，已表示目前并未与胡塞武装交战。地区官员告诉美联社，沙特阿拉伯的导弹拦截器数量即将耗尽，因此已向法国、英国、巴基斯坦和埃及寻求防空支持。

与此同时，也门境内胡塞武装与沙特支持的、国际公认的也门政府之间的战斗愈演愈烈。一周多前，胡塞武装沿红海海岸线迅速推进，占领了重要的港口城市摩卡以及位于红海南端曼德海峡的岛屿。

这提高了他们对过往船只的监视能力，尽管胡塞武装表示他们只针对沙特阿拉伯的船只。

也门的战乱也标志着在经历了四年的相对平静之后，毁灭性的内战再次爆发。