Houthis Launch Large-Scale Missile and Drone Strike on Saudi Air Base

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Monday claimed a large-scale missile and drone attack on King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia. Satellite imagery released the same day shows extensive damage to a Saudi Aramco fuel depot and apparent damage to a military site in the same region, corroborating the group’s claim of a successful strike.

What We Know

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the attack, according to Anadolu Agency via Middle East Monitor. Saree said the operation was carried out in response to more than 300 Saudi airstrikes across Yemen over the previous five days.

Satellite imagery analyses show extensive damage to a Saudi Aramco fuel depot in southern Saudi Arabia and apparent damage to a nearby military installation. The analyses do not confirm whether the imagery corresponds specifically to Monday’s claimed strike or to earlier Houthi attacks on the same area.

King Khalid Air Base, located near Khamis Mushait in Asir Province, is a major Saudi Royal Air Force installation and has been targeted in previous Houthi missile and drone campaigns.

Saudi Arabia’s government had not publicly confirmed the attack or issued a damage assessment as of this report.

What We Don’t Know

Saudi air-defense intercept rates, casualty figures, and the full scope of structural damage remain unconfirmed. Riyadh has not responded on the record to Monday’s claimed strike. The timeline for the satellite imagery, and whether it captures damage from this specific attack or prior incidents, has not been independently verified.

Context

The claimed attack, if confirmed, represents a significant escalation in the Houthi campaign against Saudi Arabia’s military and energy infrastructure. Earlier Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the commander of U.S. Central Command, according to the Jerusalem Post, amid mounting concern about Houthi strikes escalating regional security threats.

Damage to Saudi Aramco infrastructure carries direct implications for global oil supply. Saudi Arabia produces roughly 10 percent of global crude. Strikes on fuel depots, even when not immediately crippling, have historically prompted short-term price movement in crude markets. The Houthis have sustained a campaign of missile and drone attacks on Saudi and Red Sea targets throughout 2025 and 2026, backed logistically and materially by Iran.

What to Watch

1. Saudi Arabia’s official statement confirming or denying the strike, and whether Riyadh orders retaliatory operations inside Yemen.
2. Oil market movement Monday and Tuesday as satellite damage imagery circulates among traders and analysts.
3. Any updated U.S. CENTCOM posture following the Crown Prince’s meeting with CENTCOM leadership earlier in the day.