The Saudi-led coalition launched an airstrike on a fuel depot near the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the coalition, stated the operation targeted the Yemen Petroleum Company’s al-Sabaha facility, alleging Houthi forces used the site to support missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. Houthi media confirmed the facility was struck after the coalition issued an evacuation warning for civilians at the site.
The strike occurred amid an escalation in the conflict that intensified after a four-year informal ceasefire began to unravel in July. Following a Houthi advance near the Bab al-Mandab Strait in September, pro-government forces, supported by Saudi air strikes, launched a counter-offensive to regain control of territory overlooking the shipping chokepoint. Houthi officials stated their recent attacks on Saudi infrastructure were retaliation for what they called a Saudi blockade and previous strikes on Sanaa.
In Saudi Arabia, loud booms were reported Tuesday night near the headquarters of the state-owned oil company, Aramco, in Dhahran. While the company did not officially comment, sources told Reuters an evacuation order was issued for the building, and one source reported a fire at the site. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a missile over Dhahran and three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday, stating that falling debris landed in a residential area.
The escalation affects civilians and energy infrastructure across Yemen and Saudi Arabia. In Sanaa, queues formed at petrol stations on Tuesday as residents sought fuel following the coalition's strike warning, despite assurances from the Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company that the facility contained no petroleum products. The Houthi warning of retaliatory strikes on the Riyadh airport, the Aramco refinery, and the Dammam headquarters follows recent military activity.
According to the United Nations, more than 216,000 people have been displaced across Yemen, and suspected cholera cases tripled in three weeks, rising from 217 to 647. At least 54 civilians, half of whom were children, have been killed since August. In Saudi Arabia, the impact on civilian safety was noted following a Saturday missile strike on King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people, followed by another death in a similar attack the next day.
The conflict has also impacted global markets, with oil prices rising in September following clashes near the Bab al-Mandab shipping strait. As the Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated the Houthi group would bear the consequences of recent attacks, the possibility of sustained strikes on Aramco facilities remains a focal point for global energy stability. Future developments depend on the success of pro-government counter-offensives and the outcome of threatened Houthi retaliations against Saudi urban centers.