Saudi Arabia: Al-Houthi rebels claim successful targeting of Aramco facility in Riyadh early March 19; no verification provided

Event

Unverified reports from media outlets affiliated with Yemen's Al-Houthi rebels claim the group successfully struck an Aramco facility in Riyadh with six weaponized drones the morning of March 19. The Al-Houthis did not provide additional details concerning the exact location of the reported strike. The rebels did not provide any verifiable proof to support their claims. Neither Saudi Arabian nor Aramco officials have confirmed the alleged incident.

Context

The lack of objective sources covering the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and Al-Houthi rebels makes it challenging to independently verify reports of long-range weaponized drone and ballistic missile attacks or intercepts inside Saudi Arabia. Each side relies heavily on propaganda and misdirection in the media to shape the narrative to its policy objectives. As is often the case with reports of alleged drone or ballistic missile attacks or intercepts, neither Riyadh nor the Al-Houthi rebels provide much, if any, verifiable proof to support their respective claims.

This is not the first time that Al-Houthi has claimed to have struck an Aramco facility. The rebels claimed responsibility for the 2019 combined drone and missile strike against Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, Eastern Province. More recently, the rebels claimed to have been behind the March 7 unsuccessful drone and missile attack against Aramco facilities in Ras Tanura and Dhahran, Eastern Province. In both incidents, authorities expressed doubts about the validity of any Al-Houthi claimed involvement in the attacks.