An AFP news agency correspondent reported that long queues formed at petrol stations in Sanaa on Tuesday afternoon, as residents stocked up on fuel following coalition warnings of an impending operation against the al-Sabaha oil facility. Many locals expressed concern over potential fuel shortages.
The Yemen Petroleum Company, which operates under Houthi control, issued a statement aimed at reassuring the public, asserting that the al-Sabaha facility “does not contain any stock of petroleum products.”
The company further stated that it has “taken all necessary precautionary measures to address any emergency, ensuring the stability of the supply situation and the continued meeting of citizens’ needs in a normal manner.”
Following the confirmation of the strike by al-Maliki—initially reported by Houthi media—explosions were heard over Riyadh and other Saudi cities. Al-Maliki confirmed that four missiles and two drones had been intercepted near the capital.
Yemen has been ravaged by a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa. The conflict intensified in 2015 with the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states, aimed at restoring the legitimate government’s authority.
An informal four-year ceasefire began to break down in July, when the Houthis declared a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia and initiated missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers in the Red Sea.
The Houthis stated that these actions were in retaliation for what they describe as a Saudi blockade of their territory, as well as an airstrike on Sanaa airport which they attribute to the kingdom.
The conflict escalated further in September after the Houthis seized parts of Yemen’s southwestern Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping. This advance contributed to a rise in global oil prices, occurring against the backdrop of a six-month conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Houthis were “behaving very badly… and purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump declined to answer questions regarding whether he had decided to support Saudi retaliation against the group, though he noted that he “might” ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene.
Last week, pro-government forces announced they had regained control of territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, following a major counter-offensive supported by Saudi airstrikes.
Since August, hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in Yemen. According to the UN’s human rights office, the casualties include at least 54 civilians, half of whom were children.
Additionally, more than 216,000 people have been displaced across the country. Suspected cholera cases have tripled in just three weeks, rising from 217 to 647, according to UN figures.