Houthis claim attack on Riyadh airport and Saudi oil pipeline; damage unconfirmed

Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Monday, October 26, that it struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and pumping stations on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline with drones. The claim came from military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a [post on his X account](https://x.com/Yah_Saree/status/2114543447554326899). Reuters and Anadolu reported the announcement, but the claimed hits have not been independently verified. The Saudi-led coalition said air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh. Its spokesperson also said the coalition destroyed two missile launchers in Sanaa, including one used to launch the missile, in a [separate official post](https://x.com/CJFCSpox/status/2114537102717448384). Saudi Civil Defense issued a warning for Riyadh and later said the danger had passed. That confirms a missile threat and interception; it does not confirm that the airport was struck. Saudi authorities had not confirmed damage at the airport or pipeline, and no casualty toll for Monday’s claims was available in the reports reviewed. The pipeline matters well beyond Saudi Arabia. At roughly 1,200 kilometers, it carries crude from the kingdom’s eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, offering a route that avoids the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters describes it as an important export corridor while shipping through Hormuz is heavily disrupted. A hit on pumping stations could therefore have wider energy consequences, but there is no verified evidence that Monday’s claims caused damage or interrupted flows. The claims came a day after Riyadh airport resumed limited operations at two terminals following a closure that began after an October 10 attack killed 13 people, according to Reuters. The Saudi-led coalition separately said Monday that it had destroyed missile tunnels and launchers in Houthi-held territory; the Associated Press reported that announcement. Neither side’s claims establish the full effects of the latest exchange. The next useful confirmation would be an update from Saudi airport or energy authorities on damage and operations. Until then, the verified picture is narrower than the Houthi announcement: a missile was launched toward Riyadh and intercepted, while hits on the airport and oil facilities remain unconfirmed.