Saudi-led coalition tells civilians to leave an oil site in Sanaa as Riyadh vows the Houthis will face consequences
On Tuesday 13 October the Saudi-led coalition ordered the evacuation of a Yemeni oil facility in Sanaa ahead of an operation (Reuters); FinancialJuice, relaying the coalition, named it as the Al-Sabaha Central Station. The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by the Crown Prince, said the Houthis would face consequences for repeated attacks. The Houthis warned that an attack on Sanaa would bring a harsh response in Riyadh and told civilians to stay away from Aramco sites. Bloomberg reported more ballistic missiles intercepted over Riyadh and Khamis Mushait. Reuters reported the Saudi warning system was silent before last weekend’s airport attacks, and AP that officials are probing the failure. The US has urged travellers to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, and Trump said he had spoken with the Crown Prince.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest crude exporter, and attacks on its cities and an expanding campaign in Yemen add to the risk to oil supply. Oil feeds directly into the price of petrol and diesel in New Zealand.
Fuel prices are already high. If you are travelling through the Gulf, check your airline: several carriers have suspended Saudi routes, and Qatar Airways has paused Riyadh and Dammam.
Riyadh and its allies say the Houthis are responsible for repeated, deadly attacks and must be stopped.
The Houthis say any attack on Sanaa will be answered in Riyadh, and their claims about other targets are unverified.
Escalation is likelier than a pause. Watch whether the Sanaa operation goes ahead, what the Houthis hit in reply, and whether Washington or Turkey are drawn in.
DailyDrop New Zealand edition No. 10 · Morning · WED., OCT. 14, 2026