Drones stealthily intercepted over Riyadh as Houthi attacks continue with Iran denying ties

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that it had intercepted four drones, including over the capital Riyadh, as the country comes under repeated fire from Yemen's Houthis while Iran continues to deny escalatory ties.

Footage released shows what they say is fire burning in the distance following a drone strike against Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted four drones on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with the Saudi government accusing Iran of encouraging the Houthis' recent escalation.   © ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE / AFP

Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government in its civil war with the Iran-backed Houthis.

Since the conflict flared back to life in July after a years-long hiatus, the kingdom has faced sustained Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting its oil installations, tankers, and airports.

"We have intercepted and destroyed four drones over the past few hours in the regions of Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and the South," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki wrote on X.

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Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis' recent escalation, a charge Tehran denies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Tehran supported a "comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve" the conflict on the Arabian Peninsula.

He also repeated Iran's offer to mediate between the two sides.

Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh previously said Riyadh has not responded to Iran's overture.

The Houthis are part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" against Israel and the US, but both they and Tehran insist the group acts independently.

Saudi Arabia has carried out retaliatory airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen, where government forces are seeking to roll back gains the group made in a lightning offensive in September.

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On Saturday, a Houthi-affiliated news agency accused Saudi warplanes of targeting "civilian residences" in Dhamar and Taiz provinces, killing 12 people.