Houthis strike Aramco facility in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia launches dozens of strikes on Sanaa

On October 3, 2026, Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a Saudi Aramco oil refinery south of Riyadh with missiles and drones, sparking a massive fire. Saudi Arabia retaliated with 26 airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa. The escalation follows the collapse of a four-year truce in July 2026, which has plunged Yemen back into civil war, displaced millions, and threatened global energy markets, prompting the G7 to release 100 million barrels of oil reserves.

Houthi strike on Riyadh oil refinery

• ▪A large plume of smoke and fire erupted at a Saudi Aramco oil refinery located south of Riyadh on October 3, 2026
• ▪Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility on October 3, 2026, for targeting the Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones

Impact on global energy markets

• ▪The G7 nations announced on October 2, 2026, that they would release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel reserves over four months to stabilize surging fuel prices
• ▪Energy experts warned that the October 3, 2026, strike on the Riyadh refinery could trigger a fresh spike in global energy prices

Saudi airstrikes in Yemen

• ▪Yemen's Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of launching 26 airstrikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on October 3, 2026
• ▪Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported Saudi missile strikes targeting the telecommunications network in Yemen's northwestern Saada governorate on October 3, 2026

Debatable claims

• ▪The United States should provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthi advances
• ▪Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa do more harm than good