Iran-backed Houthi forces have purportedly carried out a total of six coordinated attacks targeting airports and vital oil facilities across Saudi Arabia. This sharp escalation unfolded in the wake of a rare, high-level meeting between Saudi and Iranian senior officials in Tehran, where both sides allegedly agreed to resolve regional differences through diplomatic channels.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan had dispatched high-ranking representatives to the Iranian capital in an apparent bid to de-escalate simmering regional tensions. However, despite optimistic official statements regarding regional security and cooperation, Houthi fighters continued their relentless barrage of missiles and drones directed at the kingdom's strategic infrastructure.

According to statements released by Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree, the strikes targeted crucial commercial and military assets spanning from the kingdom's eastern and west coasts to Riyadh and the southern Najran region. The group claimed responsibility for targeting the Ras Tanura oil refinery, an Aramco facility in Abqaiq, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Independent verification of these extensive claims remains entirely absent.

The intensified combat operations occurred as the Saudi-led coalition air defences intercepted and destroyed incoming ballistic missiles headed toward the capital. Saudi Civil Defence reported that falling shrapnel injured one civilian in Riyadh and caused material damage to residential property and a vehicle, highlighting the ongoing security vulnerabilities facing the region despite professed diplomatic breakthroughs.

Source: www.aljazeera.com