Houthis Warn of ‘Painful’ Response After Saudi Strikes on Yemen Fuel Sites
The Saudi-led military coalition struck fuel sites around the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday, hours after warning civilians to stay clear of the area. The Houthis vowed to hit back against the Saudi capital Riyadh and its oil infrastructure.
The coalition’s joint forces command asked civilians to evacuate the Yemen Oil Company’s Sabah central station in Sanaa before the planned operation and released a map marking the site. Later, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported that coalition jets had bombed the Sabah depot on the outskirts of the city.
Saudi Yemen strikes hit Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar sites
In a statement, the coalition said its operation targeted the fuel station and other locations in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar. It said the sites were supplying the Houthis’ arsenal of missiles and drones used to attack Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The stated aim was to neutralise the group’s ability to threaten the kingdom, Yemen and international waterways.
The Yemen Oil Company said the Sabah station held no petroleum stocks at the time of the attack. It added that the bombing had not affected the country’s oil reserves or supply chains.
Before the strikes, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that any attack on Sanaa would draw a harsh and painful response inside the Saudi capital. The movement also told employees and civilians to keep away from Saudi Aramco oil facilities, describing them as legitimate targets.
The Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis would face consequences for repeated attacks on the kingdom. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told an energy conference in Riyadh that recent events had been serious and the response must be equally serious.
A week of escalating attacks
The strikes capped a week in which the Houthis have repeatedly hit Saudi airports and oil facilities. The deadliest came on Saturday, when a missile struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing more than a dozen people in what reports described as the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in a decade. Airport operations remained suspended on Monday, and the kingdom has intercepted further missiles and drones since.
The fighting is part of a wider regional confrontation. The Houthis have linked their campaign to the broader conflict between the United States and Iran, while Saudi Arabia has stepped up backing for the Yemeni government’s counteroffensive after the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. Fighting has also disrupted air travel across Saudi Arabia, grounding flights even as Riyadh hosts a major energy conference.
Why the escalation matters for Pakistan
For Pakistan, the fighting sits uncomfortably close to its energy lifeline. Islamabad has asked Saudi Arabia for a 15-year, $6.7 billion oil facility, a request reported earlier this week, meaning the kingdom’s energy infrastructure is the very supply chain Pakistan wants to lock in for the long term. Attacks on Saudi airports and refineries also hit closer to home: flights between Lahore and the Gulf have already been cancelled as regional tensions bite, stranding travellers on both ends.
The International Monetary Fund has meanwhile told developing countries to cut spending as the Iran war energy shock bites, a warning with direct bearing on Pakistan’s import bill. If Red Sea shipping and Gulf oil facilities keep coming under fire, the cost of oil and freight for importers like Pakistan will keep climbing, and the government’s budget math will get harder.
What happens next
The coalition says its campaign will continue until the Houthis lose the ability to strike across the border. The Houthis say their attacks will continue too, and have threatened Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran and a refinery in Riyadh. The risk is a cycle that keeps oil markets on edge and Gulf shipping routes under threat.
Which sites did the Saudi-led coalition strike in Yemen?
The coalition said it hit the Yemen Oil Company’s Sabah central station in Sanaa along with other sites in Hodeidah and Dhamar, claiming the locations supplied the Houthis’ missile and drone arsenal.
What did the Houthis threaten in response?
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned of a harsh and painful response in Riyadh, and the group told workers and civilians to stay away from Saudi Aramco oil facilities, calling them legitimate targets.
How does the Yemen escalation affect Pakistan?
Pakistan imports oil through Gulf shipping lanes and has asked Saudi Arabia for a 15-year, $6.7 billion oil facility. Attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure threaten those supply lines, while the IMF has warned developing countries to cut spending as the Iran war energy shock pushes up costs.
