Saudi Arabia confirms Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile

Saudi Arabia confirmed that Yemen's Houthi rebels attempted to attack its capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile. This was the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels. The Houthis claimed to have attacked "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in the Red Sea port of Yanbu, causing "massive fires," according to the Hindustan Times - World News.

Residents near Riyadh's airport reported seeing a plume of smoke, and Saudi authorities had warned of a "hostile aerial threat" and issued emergency alerts across the kingdom overnight. The Houthis have been launching attacks against Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and shipping, creating new threats to global oil supplies, as reported by ABC News AU.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is linked to the Iran war, and the growing conflict near a global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets, according to PBS NewsHour.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, Winnipeg Free Press, Jerusalem Post, ABC News AU, Hindustan Times - World News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.