SANAA/RIYADH — October 2, 2026: Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels traded long-range strikes deep into each other’s territory overnight, a sharp escalation that sent black smoke rising over fuel tanks near the Saudi capital’s international airport and temporarily disrupted flights, according to foreign correspondents and regional media.
Blasts rock the Houthi capital
Loud explosions were heard late Thursday night in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is controlled by pro-Iranian Houthi forces, an AFP correspondent reported. The Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency spoke of “Saudi aggression” on social media, as footage showed large plumes of smoke rising above the city, Gulf News reported in its early-morning live coverage.
According to reports carried by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Saudi forces struck the Al-Nahda military base within the presidential palace complex in Sanaa. Residents described seeing thick black smoke and hearing multiple massive explosions, local media said.
Retaliation hits Riyadh’s airport zone
In response, the Houthi rebels launched retaliatory strikes toward Riyadh, the Saudi capital, using ballistic missiles and drones, the Yonhap report said. A fuel storage facility near King Khalid International Airport was hit, causing major disruption including the cancellation of key flights, according to the report.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said in an online statement that a “large number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones” had been used to attack “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities of the state oil and gas company Aramco in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. He said the strikes were “in response to the criminal efforts of the Saudi enemy” to target Sanaa, and accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out 300 airstrikes across Yemen over the past week, the Albanian outlet Panorama reported.
Regional outlets reported that residents of the capital were given an alert and told to stay indoors — the first such alert since the recent escalation in the conflict with the Houthis. Black smoke was seen rising above fuel tanks near the airport, where flights were temporarily suspended.
Missile intercepted over Khamis Mushait
Separately, Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait in the south of the kingdom, the Saudi Civil Defence said early Friday. Fragments from the intercepted missile fell in Khamis Mushait Governorate, causing limited material damage, officials said. No casualties were reported.
Oil markets rattled as US sends warships
The escalation rattled energy markets. Brent crude climbed to $102.30 a barrel and the UAE’s flagship Murban grade rose to $109.40 on Friday, as traders priced in disruption risks linked to Gulf shipping security, OilPrice data tracked by Gulf News showed.
The strikes came as the United States announced it was sending about 9,000 sailors and Marines to the Middle East aboard a flotilla of warships, potentially bringing three US aircraft carriers to the region by late October or November, as diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month-old US-Iran conflict remained stalled, US officials said.
Yemen plunged back into war in July after several years of calm, pitting the Houthi rebels — who hold Sanaa and Yemen’s Red Sea coastline — against the internationally recognised government backed by Riyadh, the AFP noted. With the fighting now reaching both capitals, analysts warned the conflict was entering its most dangerous phase yet.
