Yemen's Houthi movement has formally placed Saudi Aramco facilities and several key airports on a list of potential strike targets, issuing an accompanying call for civilians and staff at those locations to evacuate.
The notice followed an order issued on Tuesday, 13 October, by the Saudi-led coalition directing civilians to leave the al-Sabaha Central Station of the Yemen Petroleum Company in Sanaa — an area under Houthi control — ahead of a potential strike.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, stated that any assault on Sanaa led by Saudi Arabia would draw a retaliatory response against Riyadh that he characterised as severe and painful. Locations named in the notice faced the prospect of being targeted should the coalition move ahead with its planned operation.
Locations the group placed on its list of possible strike targets include an Aramco installation in Riyadh, a refinery the company operates in that city, King Khalid International Airport in the capital, and Aramco's principal offices in Dammam.
Saree additionally called on the workforce at Saudi oil installations — spanning engineers, labourers, and other personnel — to keep their distance from any sites the organisation has identified as potential targets. Notices covering those same risks went out to carriers, travellers, and ground staff at facilities across Saudi airspace and at airports the group had previously placed under threat.
The alert comes as hostilities between the Houthis — a group with ties to Iran — and forces loyal to Yemen's UN-recognised government, which draws support from Saudi Arabia, continue to intensify. On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition issued an order for fuel infrastructure in Sanaa to be vacated, a move that prompted Houthi forces to announce retaliatory action.
Blasts were heard across the Yemeni capital following the evacuation notice, according to outlets aligned with the Houthi movement, which attributed the strikes to Saudi-backed forces.
Drone and missile attacks attributed to Houthi forces — targeting airports and oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia — have added to an already strained regional atmosphere. Attacks on airports in Riyadh and Dammam, along with facilities operated by Aramco, were attributed to the organisation through its own statements claiming involvement in the missile and drone strikes. Strikes on civilian aviation infrastructure were among the incidents logged in reports from Saudi authorities.
A statement released through the Saudi Press Agency indicated that the kingdom's cabinet, convened under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's chairmanship, put the Houthis on notice that their ongoing attacks would carry repercussions.
Strike operations targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh left people injured and brought flight activity there to a halt. A number of carriers operating international routes have pulled or scaled back flights to destinations across Saudi Arabia.
Aramco operates within Saudi Arabia, a country whose petroleum output ranks among the highest on the planet, making the company's infrastructure a point of considerable industry attention. Prolonged damage to that energy network would put pressure on oil availability and pricing across the broader region.
These tensions are also playing out within a broader regional picture shaped by the ongoing disputes among the United States, Israel, and Iran. Ties between the Houthis and Tehran have drawn the conflict into a broader regional web, with observers noting that hostilities could extend beyond their current boundaries.
