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Saudi Arabia confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels launched their first ballistic missile attack on the capital Riyadh since the latest escalation, with the coalition saying the missile was intercepted, amid broader attacks on Saudi cities and a return to civil war in Yemen.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Saudi Arabia** confirmed Houthis attempted to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile on Saturday — the first targeting of the capital since the latest escalation — with the coalition saying the missile was intercepted and residents hearing an explosion and seeing smoke near the airport, though no damage or casualties were reported.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**The Houthis** also tried to attack the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — as well as Taif, Baysh, and Farasan, according to the Saudi-led coalition, which said all attempts were thwarted; Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed they used cruise and ballistic missiles alongside drones.

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Houthis Strike Riyadh; Saudi Arabia Low on Interceptors — SkimNews

By NPR News · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-20

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Saudi Arabia confirmed Houthis attempted to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile on Saturday — the first targeting of the capital since the latest escalation — with the coalition saying the missile was intercepted and residents hearing an explosion and seeing smoke near the airport, though no damage or casualties were reported.
The Houthis also tried to attack the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — as well as Taif, Baysh, and Farasan, according to the Saudi-led coalition, which said all attempts were thwarted; Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed they used cruise and ballistic missiles alongside drones.
The Houthis claimed without providing evidence they had struck "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu causing "massive fires" — claims the Associated Press could not independently verify and on which Aramco, the world's largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.
The escalation has built rapidly: on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca with a drone (which they fiercely denied), and on Thursday, debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia — the first civilian casualty reported in the fighting.
Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt for air defense support, according to regional officials cited by AP, while the United States — a close Saudi ally — has signaled it has no current fight with the Houthis.
The Houthis seized the Yemeni port city of Mokha and islands on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over a week ago, improving their surveillance of passing ships in the key Red Sea corridor — though they say they are only targeting Saudi vessels — marking a return to Yemen's civil war after four years of relative calm.

Why it matters: Saudi Arabia is asking four foreign militaries — France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt — for air defense help because its own interceptor stockpile is running low, even as Houthis reach the Saudi capital for the first time and threaten Aramco's Yanbu pipeline terminus. With the US declining to engage, the kingdom is defending itself against an escalating cross-border campaign that simultaneously imperils Red Sea shipping and Saudi oil infrastructure.