Houthis and Saudi Coalition Exchange Oil Facility Evacuation Warnings

The Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels exchanged evacuation warnings for critical oil infrastructure on October 13, 2026, signaling a sharp escalation in hostilities. The coalition, via spokesman Turki al-Maliki, ordered civilians to leave the Al-Sabaha Central Station of the Yemen Petroleum Company in Sanaa ahead of a planned precision operation.

In response, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared all Saudi Aramco facilities legitimate targets and urged employees and citizens to evacuate those sites. Saree warned that any strikes on Sanaa would be met with a "harsh and painful" response in Riyadh. This exchange follows a Saturday Houthi ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed at least 13 people and wounded over 300.

Concurrent fighting includes reported Saudi airstrikes on Kamaran island, the Qanawis district, and Jawf province, while Houthis claim to have downed a Saudi drone in Saada. Houthi political bureau spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti vowed to continue operations until Saudi oil facilities are destroyed. Amid the instability, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser noted that targeted attacks on regional energy infrastructure could impact global economies.

International reactions include discussions between Turkey and Pakistan regarding military support for Saudi Arabia under a trilateral defense agreement, though Turkey has ruled out deploying combat troops.