Houthis Claim Missile and Drone Strike on Aramco Facility in Riyadh as Flights Are Disrupted at Riyadh and Dammam Airports

Yemen's Houthi (Ansar Allah) armed forces spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a statement on Saturday, Mehr 11, 1405 (October 3, 2026), posted on X, that the group had carried out a "precise and direct" ballistic missile and drone operation against an Aramco facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which he said sparked fires at the site. Al Jazeera reported that a large plume of smoke and fire was seen near an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, though Saudi authorities and Aramco have not commented on the cause. Citing Tasnim and regional sources, Khabaronline reported that explosions were heard in Dammam early Sunday, Mehr 12 (October 4), and that flights were disrupted at Dammam's King Fahd airport and at Riyadh airport, with some unconfirmed reports pointing to a strike on Aramco's Yanbu facility as well. In response, the Saudi led coalition said it carried out 97 "precise targeting operations" against Houthi forces on the Tor al Baha and Taiz fronts early Sunday. Fighting has intensified since a fragile 2022 truce collapsed this past July.