Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles targeting Yanbu and Taif

Saudi air defenses shot down six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group on September 24, targeting the Red Sea port city of Yanbu and the southwestern city of Taif. No damage or casualties were reported, but the attack underscored a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities that has kept the region on edge throughout September. The intercepts triggered emergency alerts across several major Saudi cities, including Jeddah, Mecca, Tabuk, and Yanbu, before civil defense authorities issued an all-clear. For a country that processes and exports a significant share of the world’s crude oil, even a near-miss carries outsized implications for global energy markets. What happened and why Yanbu matters The six missiles were launched simultaneously toward two strategically important locations. Taif, a city in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern highlands, sits relatively close to the Yemeni border. Yanbu, on the other hand, is one of Saudi Arabia’s most critical oil-export terminals on the Red Sea coast. Yanbu serves as an alternative outlet for Saudi crude, particularly when disruptions affect export infrastructure on the Persian Gulf side. Greek-operated Patriot missile defe...