The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia issued an evacuation warning for a fuel facility in Sanaa on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, ahead of a planned military operation. The Houthi movement responded by threatening to target oil infrastructure and the capital, Riyadh, as cross-border hostilities between the two sides intensify.
Coalition Warning for the Sabaheen Central Station
The Saudi-led coalition, which has been intervening in Yemen since 2015 to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthis, issued an evacuation warning for civilians located near the Yemen Oil Company’s Sabaheen Central Station in Sanaa. The coalition’s spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, stated that the directive was issued to ensure civilian safety before the execution of what he described as a special operation
against the Houthi-controlled capital. The coalition provided a map of the targeted site to assist with the evacuation.
Reports from the ground indicate that the area witnessed explosions following airstrikes by coalition warplanes shortly after the warning was disseminated. While the coalition maintains the site is a military target, a source from the Yemen Oil Company, as reported by Houthi-linked media, claimed that the station was currently empty of petroleum products and that the supply situation remained stable.
Houthi Threats Against Saudi Aramco and Riyadh
The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, warned that any targeting of Sanaa would be met with a harsh and painful
response in Riyadh. Saree explicitly called on employees and citizens located near any Saudi Aramco facilities to vacate the premises, labeling them as legitimate targets
for the group’s forces. This rhetoric reflects a broader escalation in the conflict, which has been ongoing since the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen in late 2014.
Regional Security and Military Escalation
The escalation has disrupted aviation and security protocols across the region. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remains closed, with notices to airmen (NOTAM) indicating that operations are suspended until at least October 17. The coalition reported that it had intercepted and destroyed three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday, following a similar engagement on Monday involving a ballistic missile.
Observers have expressed concern that the current cycle of violence marks a potential return to large-scale warfare, undermining the relative calm that followed the 2022 United Nations-brokered truce. As both the coalition and the Houthi movement continue to exchange warnings and conduct strikes, the humanitarian situation in areas like Taiz remains dire, with reports of intense ground clashes and over 100 airstrikes across multiple Yemeni provinces within a 24-hour period.
