Smoke rises over Riyadh after night attacks, Aramco tank targeted

Flames and a large column of black smoke rose on Saturday morning near Riyadh's international airport, in the Saudi capital. Images released by Reuters show the smoke visible above the area. According to AFP, the fire may have involved a storage tank belonging to Aramco, the Saudi state oil company.

The specialist website FlightRadar24 reports "severe disruptions" at the airport and classifies it at the highest level of disruption, with flights cancelled or delayed.

The incident comes just hours after a tense night. Between Friday and Saturday, Saudi Arabia issued several warnings about the risk of attacks on the capital, the first time this has happened since hostilities with Yemen's Houthis began. Shortly after the announcements, loud explosions were heard in the city.

Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs also commented on the events. In a statement published on Saturday afternoon on its X profile, the FDFA said Switzerland is "profondamente preoccupata per gli attacchi contro l'Arabia Saudita" ("deeply concerned about the attacks on Saudi Arabia"). According to the department, the attacks represent a serious threat to the civilian population and could lead to further regional escalation. The FDFA called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, respect international law and prioritise dialogue.

An air-raid alert, then the explosions

At around 3am local time, residents of Riyadh were woken by a notification on their phones warning of a "hostile aerial threat" and urging them to stay indoors. Shortly afterwards, two loud explosions were heard, according to AFP journalists on the ground. The alert was lifted about half an hour later. Authorities have not yet provided any information on casualties or damage. Similar alerts were also issued in other regions of the country.

In recent days, Saudi Arabia has faced increasingly frequent attacks by the Houthis, pro-Iranian militants who control much of neighbouring Yemen and have just made a significant advance against the Yemeni government recognised by the international community and backed by a coalition led by Riyadh. Until now, Houthi attacks on Saudi territory had mainly targeted oil facilities and military bases in the south of the country or along the Red Sea coast: the capital had not previously been threatened by the hostilities, which resumed in July.

In response, Saudi Arabia has been carrying out daily, large-scale bombing of Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, without so far managing to halt their advance. Riyadh had already been hit during the regional war triggered at the end of February by the US-Israeli attack on Iran: in March, a drone struck the US embassy in the city's diplomatic quarter.