The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted suspected Houthi drones over Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh region and Eastern Province on Thursday, November 12, as the United Nations Security Council renewed Yemen-related sanctions for another year. The Iran-allied Houthis separately claimed attacks on Saudi oil installations and military targets.
Major General Turki al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson, announced the interceptions in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had used a drone against a pumping station on the East-West Pipeline and had also targeted the Yanbu oil facility on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia says it has diverted roughly 4 million barrels of crude a day through that pipeline to Yanbu, representing about 4 percent of global supply.
Saree also claimed a drone attack on a military cargo aircraft at Sharurah airport, near the Yemeni border, and said a ballistic missile had directly struck Khamis Mushait airbase. He added that the Saudi Aramco headquarters in Riyadh had been targeted. However, he denied Saudi allegations that the Houthis attacked the Mecca region on Wednesday.
Coalition forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government said operations against the Houthis were continuing across all frontlines, with leaders, vehicles, reinforcements, weapons and positions among their targets. Yemen’s Defence Ministry, citing the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, said the campaign was progressing towards its objectives, the official pro-government Saba news agency reported. A ministry meeting in Marib governorate examined ongoing operations and coordination among units participating in the Dawn of Yemen offensive.
At the Security Council, members voted unanimously on Thursday to extend sanctions, including asset freezes and travel restrictions, and demanded that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia stop. They also renewed the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, which had made the recommendations.
The council condemned Houthi military escalation, maritime and cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, and threats to commercial vessels. Members urged all sides to avoid further escalation and settle disputes through negotiations, while affirming support for the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The resolution specified that sanctions measures should exempt humanitarian assistance and civilian basic-needs supplies without harming legitimate trade.
China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, described sanctions as a means rather than an end and expressed hope for a swift easing of the conflict. Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Thursday that more than 333,000 people in Yemen had been displaced since the start of August, including over 24,000 during the preceding week. It said violence was damaging health facilities, uprooting families and obstructing humanitarian work.
Saudi Arabia is also urging the European Union to adopt a European Parliament resolution designating the Ansar Allah Houthi movement a terrorist organisation, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the effort. European officials told Reuters they feared such a step could weaken prospects for a future peace process. EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El-Anouni confirmed regular contact with Riyadh about regional developments but declined to discuss specific talks.
