Yemeni Houthis attack Saudi Arabia's pipeline and Yanbu port

The Yemeni Houthi armed group claimed on Thursday (12 November, 2026) to have attacked Saudi Arabia's vital East-West pipeline and oil installations at Yanbu port located on the Red Sea coast, according to a report by The Hindu.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree provided details of these attacks via a post on the social media platform 'X'. According to Saree, Houthi forces used drones to target pumping station number 7 on the East-West pipeline. Additionally, he provided information regarding another attack in which a ballistic missile was used to strike the oil installations at Yanbu. Saree further claimed that, in addition to these two main attacks, two other attacks carried out on a Saudi airport and an airbase located near the Yemen border were also successful.

The Houthi armed group has also claimed to have attacked installations of the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco located in Riyadh using drones, although no immediate reports of damage resulting from these attacks have been received. Earlier on Sunday (8 November, 2026), damage was caused by debris falling during an attempted attack on a Saudi Aramco skyscraper, which authorities described as an attempted attack.

On the other hand, the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government of Yemen announced on Thursday (12 November, 2026) night that it had intercepted a drone in mid-air in the Riyadh area. The coalition had previously stated that they had shot down several missiles and drones during the period from Wednesday (11 November, 2026) night to Thursday (12 November, 2026) morning, but no clarification was provided as to whether these attacks were related to the attacks claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi group.

On Thursday morning, the coalition stated that it had shot down one drone in the Riyadh region and another drone in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia in mid-air. Additionally, two ballistic missiles targeting western Saudi Arabia were also destroyed on Wednesday (11 November, 2026) night. The coalition further added that two more drones were destroyed late Wednesday (11 November, 2026) night in the southern part of the country and in the area surrounding the holy city of Makkah.

According to a report from Saudi Civil Defence, the missile debris fell in Saboha village, located approximately 35 km from Makkah.

This East-West pipeline has become extremely important for the world's largest crude oil exporter. At the beginning of the West Asia war, Iran imposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz located on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, making the use of this pipeline indispensable for transporting oil to the market. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted this pipeline. On Monday (9 November, 2026), Saudi Arabia stated that the attack on the pipeline caused a fire but had no impact on operations.

Since fighting resumed in July, Saudi Arabia has been facing regular attacks by the Houthis, including targets such as airports, energy infrastructure, military sites, and Riyadh's financial district. However, the Houthis have repeatedly denied that they are targeting holy cities such as Makkah and Madinah.