Saudi Coalition Intercepts Houthi Missiles Near Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it had intercepted two Houthi missiles launched towards the Saudi capital Riyadh and three drones in the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province. The announcement came as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensified, with strikes now reaching the capital and the heart of the oil industry in the same week.
The Houthis, who control most of the populous parts of Yemen, have stepped up attacks on the Saudi capital in recent days. A Houthi attack last week damaged an administrative building of the state oil company Saudi Aramco in Riyadh’s financial hub.
Two Houthi missiles aimed at Riyadh
The coalition said its air defences stopped both missiles before they could reach the capital. It gave no details of damage or casualties from the latest attempt. The Express Tribune reported the coalition’s statement on Sunday.
The missiles followed a similar interception a day earlier. On Saturday, the coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two Houthi drones targeting Riyadh and southern regions. Feature Pakistan reported that interception on Saturday, when the coalition first warned that attacks on the capital were rising.
The shift from drones to ballistic missiles marks a clear step up. Missiles fly faster, carry larger warheads and are harder to stop, which is why the coalition’s air defences have been on high alert around the capital.
Eastern Province under repeated attack
The three drones intercepted on Sunday were aimed at the Eastern Province, the economic powerhouse of Saudi Arabia. The province holds most of the kingdom’s oil and gas reserves and is home to Aramco’s headquarters, which suffered extensive damage in an attack in October.
The Eastern Province has faced multiple Houthi attacks in the past few weeks. The Houthis have also stepped up strikes on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response.
The pattern is now clear. The Houthis are testing Saudi defences across several targets at once, from the capital to the oil fields, while the coalition answers with strikes inside Yemen. Each round raises the risk that a missile or drone gets through.
A wider pattern of escalation
The attacks on Saudi Arabia sit inside a wider Gulf crisis that has grown through the week. Iran said its forces targeted a US radar site in Bahrain with six drones, a claim Feature Pakistan reported on Sunday. Three oil tankers were also hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan has pushed for calm at the United Nations. Its ambassador urged de-escalation at the Security Council on Friday, calling for an end to military provocations in the Gulf and a return to regional diplomacy. Pakistan has also backed UN Security Council sanctions over Houthi attacks.
The United States, meanwhile, may hold off further strikes on Iran unless provoked, after allies urged restraint. President Donald Trump has been pressed by the Saudi crown prince and the Turkish president not to resume the war, as Feature Pakistan reported on Sunday.
What happens next
The coalition has not said whether it will step up its airstrikes in Yemen after the latest interceptions. The Houthis have shown no sign of stopping their attacks, and their strikes have grown bolder, from drones to ballistic missiles and from border areas to the capital.
For Saudi Arabia, the test is whether its air defences can keep stopping every attack. For the region, the risk is that one strike gets through a major target and sets off a wider round of fighting.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Saudi-led coalition intercept on Sunday?
Two Houthi ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh and three drones in the Eastern Province.
Have the Houthis attacked Riyadh before?
Yes. The coalition intercepted two Houthi drones targeting Riyadh and southern regions on Saturday, and a Houthi attack last week damaged an Aramco building in Riyadh’s financial hub.
Why is the Eastern Province a target?
It holds most of Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas reserves and is home to Aramco’s headquarters, which suffered extensive damage in an attack in October.
How has Saudi Arabia responded?
It has ramped up airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
What is Pakistan’s position?
Pakistan has urged de-escalation at the UN Security Council and backed UN sanctions over Houthi attacks.
