Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles, drones; Egypt backs Riyadh

Fresh Houthi attacks raise security concerns around Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure as Egypt authorises steps to support Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday it ??intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Houthis towards two regions of Saudi Arabia, as the ‌conflict between the kingdom  and the Iran-aligned group  intensifies. 

The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles towards  Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region, and four drones towards the country’s Southern Region, the coalition said. Saudi Civil Defense issued early warning alerts for a potential hostile  threat in the Eastern Region and in Kharj governorate, later saying the danger had passed in  both areas. 

 Yemen’s Iran-aligned ??Houthis said on Tuesday they had hit  Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, the biggest in the kingdom, with a ballistic missile. 

 

The group’s ??military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the strike had caused a fire at the complex, which also includes a shipping terminal, located on the Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz.   

The blaze occurred during the early hours of Tuesday near facilities operated by state producer Saudi Aramco, the person said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.  

The extent of the damage wasn’t immediately clear. 

The company’s press office and the kingdom’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure has come under repeated attacks from Yemen’s Houthi militants in recent weeks, with Aramco’s headquarters, a major oil field and refineries in the kingdom’s western region targeted.  

Ras Tanura, located in the east, hosts crucial facilities for loading oil tankers, plus the kingdom’s biggest refinery and a swathe of storage tanks. 

Egypt’s parliament gave President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi the green light to take steps necessary to defend Saudi Arabia, as the Houthis in Yemen keep up strikes against the kingdom. 

The lawmakers’ approval on Monday came a little over a week after El-Sisi said Egypt stands ready to provide any support requested by the Saudi leadership, and asked parliament to convene an emergency session on the matter.  

The decision was announced by the state-run Middle East News Agency. Egypt has so far avoided military involvement in the Iran-US war, focusing instead on a mediating role and calling for deescalation as the broader West Asia has been roiled by months of upheaval. 

It’s unclear if Saudi Arabia has made any official request for Egypt’s support, nor what any assistance would entail.