Houthi missile and drone attacks struck energy infrastructure and civilian sites in Saudi Arabia’s southern border region near Yemen on Sept. 8, injuring 73 civilians, sparking fires and temporarily disrupting operations at energy facilities.
The attacks targeted sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, according to Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition. Al-Maliki described the strikes as a dangerous escalation targeting the kingdom’s national assets, citizens and residents.
The Energy Ministry said authorities were implementing contingency plans to maintain operations. The Red Sea port city of Jazan is home to an Aramco refinery that processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Iran-aligned group claimed responsibility and vowed further attacks. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group carried out a large-scale operation using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, describing it as retaliation for 121 Saudi airstrikes over the previous three days against Yemen’s Marib, Al-Bayda, Hodeidah, Taiz and Al-Jawf provinces.
The context of the exchange
The Sept. 8 attacks represent a significant escalation by Houthi forces against Saudi infrastructure, both in terms of the scale of the strike and the concentration on energy facilities in the Jazan region. Attacks on the Jazan refinery complex have occurred before during the conflict, and each carry implications for regional oil markets given the facility’s output.
The kingdom has been involved in the Yemen conflict since 2015, when a Riyadh-led coalition began military operations after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of the country’s north. The conflict has continued through multiple cease-fire attempts and diplomatic initiatives without reaching a resolution.
The framing of the Sept. 8 strikes as retaliation for 121 Saudi airstrikes in the preceding three days reflects the cycle of escalation and counter-escalation that has characterized the conflict. Both sides attribute their offensive actions to the other’s prior strikes.
The Jazan refinery
The Aramco refinery in Jazan processes 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it a significant piece of petroleum processing infrastructure. A disruption of that facility, even a temporary one, carries supply implications beyond the kingdom’s borders. The kingdom has demonstrated the ability to recover from infrastructure attacks rapidly, as it did following the 2019 strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais facilities.
What the Houthis said
Saree’s claim of a large-scale specialized military operation using dozens of missiles and drones is the group’s characterization of the attack. Authorities in Riyadh have their own accounting of the strikes. The scale of civilian injuries, 73 people, and the fires at energy facilities are documented by Riyadh.
The United States designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in January 2025
