Houthis warn civilians to evacuate Saudi Aramco oil facilities
- Yemen’s Houthi rebels have issued a formal warning to employees and civilians near Saudi Aramco oil facilities, designating the sites as legitimate military targets.
- In a statement posted to Telegram, Saree told employees and citizens located near any oil facility belonging to Aramco to evacuate and stay away, characterizing the sites as...
- Following the Saudi coalition's evacuation order, reports emerged of air strikes targeting the Yemeni Oil Company’s al-Sabah central station in Sanaa, as well as oil storage tanks at...
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have issued a formal warning to employees and civilians near Saudi Aramco oil facilities, designating the sites as legitimate military targets. The warning, issued Tuesday by military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree, follows a series of escalating confrontations between the Iran-backed group and the Saudi-led coalition.
In a statement posted to Telegram, Saree told employees and citizens located near any oil facility belonging to Aramco to evacuate and stay away, characterizing the sites as targets for Houthi forces. This ultimatum was issued in direct response to a Saudi-led coalition order for civilians to evacuate an oil facility in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa ahead of planned military operations. The Houthi military spokesman’s statement, posted at 1:38 p.m. UK time, specifically warned that any strikes on Sanaa would be met with a harsh and painful
response in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Retaliation and Escalation
Following the Saudi coalition’s evacuation order, reports emerged of air strikes targeting the Yemeni Oil Company’s al-Sabah central station in Sanaa, as well as oil storage tanks at the Ras Isa port and a station in Hodeidah province. In response, Saree warned that any strikes on Sanaa would be met with a harsh and painful
response in Riyadh. The Houthis specifically identified the Aramco headquarters in Dammam, a refinery in Riyadh, and King Khalid International Airport as potential targets for retaliation.
🇸🇦⚔️🇾🇪 Houthi strikes hit Saudi Aramco facilities, wound 73 — and send oil prices climbing wave of Houthi ballistic-missile and drone attacks struck Saudi Aramco energy facilities and utilities across the kingdom's south — Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait — early Tuesday,… pic.twitter.com/HK6OC8IzBN
The regional conflict has intensified significantly over the past week. Recent attacks on King Khalid airport have resulted in casualties and prompted multiple international airlines, including Delta, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM, to suspend flights to the region. While the Saudi coalition reported intercepting three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi cabinet has publicly stated that the Houthis will face consequences
for the ongoing campaign. Other carriers, including Air India, Etihad, Gulf Air, and Qatar Airways, have also suspended service to the kingdom. These hostilities occur as the Saudi-backed government pushes a counteroffensive titled the Dawn of Yemen,
launched after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.
Infrastructure and Economic Stability
The threat to Aramco infrastructure has raised concerns regarding the stability of global energy markets.
As of Tuesday, despite the heightened rhetoric and evacuation warnings, it remains unclear if the Houthis have launched new strikes against the specifically named Aramco facilities. While the group has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on airports and oil sites, the extent of the damage and the specific nature of the promised retaliation remain under observation as the coalition continues its counteroffensive. While the Houthis have not yet launched new attacks against the newly named facilities, the group has warned international airlines for the last time
regarding operations in Saudi airspace, which they now describe as a theater for their military operations.