Saudi Arabia LIVE updates: Houthis say they attacked Saudi's Aramco facilities in Yanbu | Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times

**Saudi Arabia Live Updates: Houthis Claim Attack on Aramco Facilities in Yanbu**

*Riyadh –* In a statement released early on Tuesday, Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi movement announced that it had launched a missile and drone strike against Saudi Aramco’s processing plant in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. The Houthis said the operation was aimed at “crippling the economic lifeline of the Saudi regime” and warned that further attacks would follow if the coalition persists with its air campaign in Yemen. According to Houthi officials, the strike hit a secondary storage unit and caused “temporary disruption” to oil output, though they did not disclose casualty figures or the extent of damage.

Saudi authorities, however, categorically denied any successful penetration of the Yanbu facility. The Ministry of Energy and the state‑run oil giant released a joint statement asserting that the plant remained fully operational and that “no interruption to production or safety was recorded.” The Saudi defense ministry also reported that aerial and maritime patrols intercepted multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the vicinity of the Red Sea, neutralizing them before they could reach their intended targets. Meanwhile, the Saudi coalition’s air‑defense network reported that a Houthi drone was shot down near the holy city of Mecca, prompting officials to label any attempt to strike the area as a “red line” violation.

The episode has sparked a wave of diplomatic reactions. India condemned the drone activity near Mecca, calling it “an attack on the sanctity of a place of worship for millions of Muslims,” while urging restraint from all parties. Iran, a long‑time patron of the Houthis, has not publicly endorsed the Yanbu claim, and U.S. officials have reiterated their support for Saudi security while urging a political resolution to the Yemen conflict. The latest flare‑up underscores the volatile security environment in the Red Sea corridor, where commercial shipping, energy infrastructure and religious sites remain vulnerable to the broader regional rivalry.