Houthis strike Riyadh airport and Aramco refinery in a claimed wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia on October 5, 2026, as the Yemen war spills sharply across the border. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they launched three operations against the kingdom — and the attacks triggered the activation of the new Mecca defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
What the Houthis Claimed
Loud explosions rattled the Saudi capital on Monday evening. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree then announced strikes using "a large number of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles" against three sets of targets: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh in the Mecca region, and military sites in the southwest — Abha Airport, the Khamis Mushait base, and Akfa camp in Asir province, plus "sensitive sites" in Najran and Jazan provinces.
Saree called the strikes retaliation for 60 Saudi attacks in the previous 24 hours on Sanaa, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Hajjah, Saada, and Marib, putting total Saudi strikes at 1,576 since the escalation began. He warned airlines to suspend flights through Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina.
Important: the Houthi claims could not be independently verified (Reuters), Saudi authorities had not confirmed the specific attacks, and no damage or casualty figures were confirmed as of reporting.
The Mecca Defence Pact Activates
The strikes prompted an emergency meeting in Riyadh on October 5 of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca defence pact — the joint defence agreement signed in August 2026 by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye, committing each to come to the others' aid if attacked.
Pakistan's delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Per the Saudi Press Agency, the three agreed to "take necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom." Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said they "agreed to activate collective deterrence measures," while all three condemned attempted attacks on Mecca and Medina.
Saudi, Yemeni, and US Responses
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on civilian areas, economic facilities, and religious sites, reaffirming full support for Yemen's internationally recognised government. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said naval forces struck Houthi military targets in Hodeida — weapons depots, booby-trapped-boat facilities, and naval mines.
Yemen's military said it carried out over 1,000 strikes and began an offensive against Sanaa, driving Houthi fighters from around the Bab el-Mandeb strait — Mocha port, Dhubab airport, and Al-Omari camp — and from areas in Taiz. The coalition said 100 warplanes flew sorties at dawn.
President Trump rejected a Saudi request for direct US strikes on the Houthis, offering intelligence instead (Axios/CBS) — even as his administration approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh. Trump told Fox News the Houthis had agreed not to attack the US. US Rep. Joe Wilson called the Mecca alliance a potential "NATO of the Middle East." US Central Command said it has redirected 130 commercial vessels since resuming its blockade of Iranian ports on July 14.
Oil on Edge
Energy markets were already strained: an October 4 attack had halted pumping on the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, a key Saudi export conduit (AFP, citing a Saudi energy source), with Iran blockading the Strait of Hormuz during the wider West Asia war. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said in London on October 5 that global oil stockpiles were "scarily thin."
UN chief António Guterres said he was "deeply concerned by the sharp escalation in fighting," condemning "the continued Houthi cross-border attacks" on Saudi Arabia; the UN says over 184,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks.
Watch: News18 Crux report — Houthis claim strikes on Riyadh airport and Aramco refinery as Saudi-backed forces advance in Yemen
Music: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources:
Times of India — Houthis target Aramco refinery, Saudi capital airport as Mecca defence pact activated
The Hindu (AFP) — Yemen's Houthis say struck Riyadh airport, other Saudi sites
Trends MENA — Yemen forces retake Mokha as Houthi war widens regional tensions
Gulf News — Trump open to Iran talks as Mecca alliance strengthens