The Saudi coalition led by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged the residents of Sanaa, the capital controlled by the Houthis, to evacuate the area before an attack on Yemen's oil facilities. This warning comes after a series of attacks on airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Coalition's Warning to Sanaa Residents
Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition spokesperson, stated in a message: "We urge residents to leave the location of Yemen's oil facilities, the Al-Sabha central station in Sanaa, for their safety." This warning has been issued particularly as the war in Yemen has intensified again since July.
Houthi Threats and Security Situation
The Houthis quickly responded to this warning, stating that any attack would be met with a "hard and painful" response. They also warned employees of Saudi Arabia's giant oil facilities, Aramco, and threatened to target Riyadh International Airport.
As Saudi Arabia faces serious new attacks, the coalition announced that its forces intercepted three drones north of Riyadh. Some countries, particularly France, have warned their citizens against traveling to Saudi Arabia and advised them to avoid the airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been conducting military operations as a supporter of the Yemeni government in the civil war against the Houthis. This war has created a deep humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Meanwhile, traffic in Riyadh has noticeably decreased, and some schools have shifted to remote learning.
According to the International Monetary Fund's forecasts, Saudi Arabia will face a serious economic recession this year, with the country's GDP expected to decline by 3.3 percent. This issue has arisen particularly following the intensification of the Yemen war and attacks on Saudi oil facilities and its major airports.
Iran is also attempting to impose its control over the Strait of Hormuz and is taking actions against ships that pass through this strait without permission. To circumvent this strait, Saudi Arabia has been using its east-to-west oil pipeline, but this pipeline has recently been closed due to attacks by Iran-backed groups.
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