Explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday shortly after a coalition led by Saudi Arabia ordered civilians to leave the area around an oil facility. 

The Houthis responded by warning that any strike on the city would draw a harsh and painful response in Riyadh. Their warning also named Dammam as a possible target.

A correspondent in Sanaa reported hearing an explosion at the Al Sabaha central station, which is run by the Yemeni Oil Company. Media outlets close to the Houthis said air strikes had hit an oil facility in the Al Sabaha area. The coalition has not publicly detailed the scale of its planned operation, and no casualty figures from the Sanaa blasts have been confirmed.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree went further, telling employees and civilians near Saudi oil facilities to evacuate and describing the sites as legitimate targets. Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis would face consequences for their repeated attacks on the kingdom, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan phoned the crown prince to pledge Turkey’s support.

The latest exchange follows weeks of escalation. Saudi Arabia has been striking the Houthis and backing a Yemeni government counteroffensive called Dawn of Yemen, after the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for weekend strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi authorities. On Monday night, they said they had fired a ballistic missile at the same airport, and multiple blasts were reported across the Saudi capital.

The violence is also spreading inside Yemen. At least five civilians, including a child aged five, were killed in Houthi shelling in Taiz province, according to the Taiz Governorate Human Rights Office. Meanwhile, as US President Donald Trump weighs joining Saudi Arabia in attacking the group, the Houthis have warned Washington of a swift and painful response. The fighting is unfolding against the wider Iran war, which has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.