Yemen's Houthi movement has warned all employees and civilians near Saudi Arabia's oil facilities to evacuate, declaring the sites "a legitimate target," as explosions were reported in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday.
The warning came from Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, prompted by an evacuation order from the Saudi-led coalition urging civilians to leave the Yemeni Oil Company's al-Sabah central station in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
Shortly after the coalition's evacuation order, explosions were heard in Sanaa. Media outlets affiliated with the Houthis reported that air strikes by Saudi-backed forces struck an oil facility in the al-Sabaha area of the capital.
"We heard the explosion upon Saudi Arabia targeting the Yemeni oil al-Sabah Central Station here in the capital Sanaa," a correspondent on the ground said.
Saudi Arabia also conducted two other air strike campaigns — one on the Ras Isa port, targeting Yemeni oil storage tanks, and another on an oil station in the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah province, according to reports from the ground.
Following the reported explosions, Saree said Houthi fighters were confronting Saudi-backed forces in Sanaa. He warned that any strikes on the capital would be met with a "harsh and painful" response in Riyadh.
In a statement on X, Saree said the Houthis would target sites that had been ordered evacuated if the Saudi-led coalition proceeded with an attack on Sanaa. Civilians were told to evacuate the Aramco Company headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid International Airport, and a refinery affiliated with Aramco in Riyadh.
"The Ansar Allah Houthi group have not yet launched any attacks, but people are expecting there to be retaliations," the correspondent said.
The warnings follow a series of deadly Houthi strikes on Saudi territory. An attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday left at least 13 people dead and more than 300 injured. A further strike on Sunday killed one person and wounded 11 others at the same airport.
The kingdom was still weathering new attacks on Tuesday, with the coalition reporting that its forces intercepted three drones north of Riyadh.
Many international airlines have since suspended flights to Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries following the weekend attacks. Carriers including Air France-KLM, Air India, Etihad, Lufthansa, Delta, Gulf Air, and Qatar Airways have all halted services.
Saree reiterated the Houthis' warnings to airports and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, as attacks on multiple sites have continued since last week in a spillover from the wider regional conflict between the United States and Iran.
Saudi Arabia has in recent weeks launched strikes against the Houthis and is backing a Yemeni government counteroffensive known as "Dawn of Yemen," following the group's seizure of strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.
Saudi Arabia's cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said on Tuesday that the Houthis would face "consequences" for their attacks across the kingdom, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
