Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Saudi defence ministry and Ras Tanura refinery
The Houthi movement said it hit Saudi Arabia's defence ministry in Riyadh and the Ras Tanura oil refinery with ballistic missiles, while Saudi officials reported intercepting missiles and a fire that was later contained.
Yemen's Houthi forces said they launched a ballistic missile that directly struck Saudi Arabia's defence ministry in Riyadh on Tuesday. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated, "Our armed forces targeted the Ministry of Defence in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile and the hit was direct."
Saudi authorities reported intercepting two missiles earlier in the day and said explosions were heard in the capital, according to AFP. The Houthis also claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at the Ras Tanura refinery, Saudi Arabia's largest oil processing complex, describing the result as "massive fires." Saudi officials did not confirm the refinery attack, but a resident of Al Khobar reported hearing a loud bang and receiving an alert on a mobile device.
Maritime security agency Vanguard confirmed a fire at Ras Tanura on Tuesday, noting that it had been contained while the extent of damage and any effect on oil-loading operations remained unclear. The incident follows an escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi movement that began in September.
Separately, an Israeli newspaper reported that Saudi officials offered a $1 billion financial package to the Houthis through an Iran-mediated agreement aimed at halting attacks on Saudi infrastructure. The report cited Gulf diplomatic sources and said Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman brought the money during a visit to Tehran, accompanied by representatives of Turkey and Pakistan as part of the Mecca Joint Defense Alliance.