Saudi forces carried out an air assault on a petroleum facility under Houthi control in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, on Tuesday. The Saudi-led coalition had directed residents to leave the area in advance of a planned military operation before the strike took place.
Early accounts noted blasts at the site, with the full picture still taking shape. News outlets reported that strikes attributed to the coalition fell on the al-Sabaha district in western Sanaa, where the Yemeni Oil Company operates a central installation. Media linked to the Houthi movement reported that the installation had been struck, with the full scale of any resulting damage yet to be determined.
On Tuesday morning, the coalition's spokesperson, Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, published a map identifying the location of the compound alongside an order for people living nearby to evacuate ahead of any planned military action. A government official on the Yemeni side reported airstrikes on positions held by Houthi forces in the capital. A representative of the group put the city on notice that any move against it by Saudi forces would be met with a forceful counter-response.
A statement from the Houthi movement, issued that Tuesday, identified Saudi Aramco's oil facilities as permissible targets in any armed engagement. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree directed both workers and residents to vacate those locations in a public statement, while also advising anyone in proximity to Saudi oil infrastructure to keep away from all potential target areas.
On Monday, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said the group would mount a strong retaliatory response against the United States and its regional interests if Washington became involved in Saudi Arabia's military campaign in Yemen.
Two drone strikes on the airport serving Riyadh preceded the broader upturn in hostilities. Thirteen people were killed and more than 300 others wounded when an attack unfolded on Saturday. A follow-up attack on Sunday claimed one life and left roughly eleven others with injuries.
In a telephone exchange on Tuesday, Turkish President Erdoğan conveyed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Turkey's backing for Saudi Arabia would remain in place, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. Erdoğan voiced opposition to the Houthi strikes and expressed confidence that the situation would be resolved, remarks that came against the backdrop of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement — signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in August — which treats an attack on any one signatory as an attack on all three.
Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been engaging American intermediaries in an effort to obtain Saudi approval for Israeli military action against the Houthis. The US State Department moved Saudi Arabia to a Level 3 travel advisory, urging people to reconsider any planned trips, while Etihad Airways pulled its scheduled services to Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah through October 19.
