Saudi coalition orders evacuation around Sanaa oil facility as Houthis threaten Riyadh response

The Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday ordered civilians in Yemen's capital to evacuate the area around the Yemen Petroleum Company's Sabah central station in western Sanaa ahead of a planned military operation. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki issued the warning through official channels, identifying the site on maps and stating that residents should leave for their own safety. This marked the first such evacuation order for Sanaa since fighting between the coalition and Iran-backed Houthi forces intensified again in July.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree responded immediately. He said any strike on Sanaa would draw a "harsh and painful" response against the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The Houthis also directed employees and civilians near Saudi Aramco oil facilities to stay away, describing those sites as legitimate targets. Fighting has escalated since Houthis began attacking Saudi airports and oil infrastructure last week, in a spillover from the wider regional conflict involving the United States and Iran.

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport has remained closed following a series of Houthi missile and drone strikes. An attack on Saturday killed 13 people, including one American, and wounded more than 300. The coalition reported intercepting three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday. Saudi forces have conducted strikes inside Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including claims of more than 120 raids in a single day earlier this week. Houthis have reported airstrikes on the Red Sea island of Kamaran, the Qanawis district north of Hodeida, and Jawf province.

Inside Yemen, the conflict has tightened around the city of Taiz. Houthi forces completed a siege of the city on October 4, cutting supply routes from government-held territory. The governor of Taiz, Nabil Shamsan, warned that shortages of medicine would soon halt emergency surgical and intensive care services for its more than one million residents. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive last month after Houthis seized territory along the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in September.

The renewed fighting has disrupted commercial air travel and raised risks to oil exports from the world's largest crude producer. Saudi Arabia has faced economic pressures even as it backs the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Houthi political bureau spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Sky News that operations against Saudi facilities would continue until oil and vital infrastructure is destroyed if Riyadh does not end its campaign. The United States has considered joining the Saudi-led counteroffensive, according to statements from President Donald Trump, prompting Houthi warnings of a swift response if American forces become involved.

Cross-border attacks have killed at least 14 people in Saudi Arabia in recent days and forced temporary closures of the capital's main airport until at least October 17. Airlines including Gulf Air and Bahrain Air canceled flights. The coalition has not specified the exact nature of the planned operation at the Sanaa oil facility. Houthi forces control Sanaa and large parts of northern and western Yemen. The internationally recognized government, based in Aden, relies on Saudi financial and military support.

The escalation follows years of intermittent conflict. A previous round of Saudi-Houthi fighting produced a fragile de-escalation before the current round of strikes resumed. Oil markets have watched the attacks closely because of potential effects on Saudi production and Red Sea shipping routes. No immediate casualties from the latest Sanaa warning were reported. Search and rescue operations continue in other theaters linked to the broader regional war, including migrant boats attempting the crossing from Djibouti to Yemen despite the violence.

Saudi Arabia has intercepted multiple incoming drones and missiles in recent days. The Houthis claim continued capability to strike inside the kingdom. The evacuation order places the oil storage and distribution site at the center of the next phase of operations. Residents of western Sanaa now face the practical choice of leaving the designated area before any strike occurs. The outcome of that operation, and the Houthi response that follows it, will shape whether the current round of fighting expands further or returns to negotiated limits.