Saudis shoot down five Yemeni missiles

Five ballistic missiles were intercepted by Saudi air defenses on Tuesday, according to authorities in Riyadh. Two of these projectiles originated from Yemeni rebel forces targeting the capital, while the other three were shot down over the eastern region of the kingdom.

Witnesses in Riyadh reported hearing at least four explosions during the attack. The Saudi government had issued alerts for the capital, the city of Abha, Najran, and the Khamis Mushait governorate before the blasts occurred. These warnings were later lifted without any immediate reports of structural damage or casualties.

The Houthi military spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed on the social media platform X that one of their ballistic missiles struck the Saudi Ministry of Defense headquarters directly in Riyadh. The Houthi faction also asserted that they hit the Ras Tanoura refinery in the east. Neither the Saudi government nor independent observers have verified these specific claims. The Saudi side did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tensions escalated within Yemen itself, where the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health accused Saudi-backed government forces of attacking a gas station near the besieged city of Taiz. The ministry stated that two people died and several others were injured in the strike, which took place late Monday. Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-controlled channel, aired footage of two bodies in bags and injured patients in a hospital. The Yemeni army countered that its airstrikes targeted specific Houthi positions.

The conflict has expanded into the Red Sea and the Gulf. The Iranian military announced that an unidentified tanker hit naval mines and caught fire east of the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel had turned off its tracking systems and attempted to pass through a restricted zone. No casualties were reported from the incident. The Iranian navy maintained that the strait remains closed and unsafe for unauthorized transit, requiring ships to coordinate with Iranian armed forces.

President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the economic fallout at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in Moscow. He stated that the United States military intervention in the Persian Gulf was causing shocks to energy prices and threatening global economic growth. This statement came as the conflict continues to disrupt shipping routes.

In Baghdad, a drone was shot down near the fortified Green Zone on Tuesday. The Iraqi Security Media Cell confirmed the interception in a statement, noting that no damage or casualties were reported. The Green Zone houses several embassies, including the United States, along with key government buildings. Drone attacks on US facilities in Iraq had become frequent following the war that began on February 28, though the frequency has decreased in recent months.

Political friction also emerged between Egypt and the Houthis. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, criticized the Egyptian parliament for voting to support Saudi Arabia. He described the move as a hostile action that could drag Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, into what he termed an aggression against Yemen. Egyptian legislators approved the measure at a closed session on Monday, a decision requested by President Abdul Fatah el Sisi.

The Egyptian supreme security body had previously pledged to provide all necessary support to Saudi Arabia to defend its stability and territorial integrity. The parliament vote reflects growing concern among Egyptians that their country of more than 100 million people may be pulled deeper into the Yemen conflict.