Saudi Arabia intercepts five ballistic missiles from Yemen
Explosions were heard in Riyadh as the country faced simultaneous attacks on its capital and eastern regions, while fighting intensified in Taiz.
By Sakura Novak ·
Saudi authorities confirmed they destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemeni Houthi rebels after explosions were heard over the capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday. The military stated that air defense systems also destroyed three additional ballistic missiles targeted at the country's eastern region. Witnesses in Riyadh reported at least four explosions, though it was unclear whether the sounds came from impacts or interceptor systems. The government had issued alerts for Riyadh, Abha, Najran, and the Khamis Mushait governorate prior to the strikes, which were later lifted without immediate reports of damage.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed on X that a rebel ballistic missile directly hit the Saudi Ministry of Defense headquarters in Riyadh. The group also asserted that it struck the Ras Tanoura refinery in the east. The Associated Press could not independently verify these claims, and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Turki al-Malki stated that forces intercepted four Houthi drones targeting the south and three missiles heading to the east during the early hours of Tuesday.
Fighting continues in Yemen, where the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health blamed Saudi-backed government forces for an attack on a gas station near Taiz late Monday. The ministry reported two deaths and several injuries. Spokesman Anees al-Asbahi accused government troops of the strike, while the Yemeni army said it conducted targeted airstrikes on Houthi positions. Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV broadcast images of two bodies in bags and injured patients in a hospital. The channel also reported airstrikes on the port city of Moca and the Dhubab district near the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian military said an unidentified tanker hit naval mines and caught fire after turning off its tracking systems and attempting to pass a restricted zone east of the strait. State news agency IRNA reported the vessel was damaged but no casualties were reported. The Iranian navy warned that the strait remains closed and unsafe for unauthorized ships, requiring coordination with Iranian armed forces. President Masoud Pezeshkian told the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow that U.S. military intervention in the Persian Gulf was causing energy price shocks and threatening global economic growth.
A drone was shot down near Baghdad's Green Zone on Tuesday, according to the Iraqi Security Media Cell. The fortified district houses several embassies, including that of the United States, and government buildings. No damage or casualties were reported. Attacks by Tehran-backed groups on U.S. facilities in Iraq have decreased in recent months since the fighting that began on February 28 scaled back.
Houthi political figure Mohammed al-Bukhaiti criticized Egypt's decision to support Saudi Arabia in the conflict. Speaking in a video interview with the Associated Press, he described the Egyptian parliament's backing of Riyadh as a hostile action that could drag the most populous Arab nation into an aggression against Yemen. Egyptian legislators approved the measure requested by President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi in a closed session on Monday. Egypt's highest security body previously pledged to provide all necessary support to defend Saudi stability and protect Islamic holy sites.
