Saudi Arabia issued alerts on Thursday warning of potential danger in Yanbu, the kingdom's Red Sea oil export hub, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Source: Reuters

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it destroyed a missile launched by the group towards Medina, Islam's holy city, Reuters said. The kingdom's civil defence also issued emergency alerts for the southeastern area of Sharurah, which borders Yemen.

Source: The Business Standard (Reuters)

The Houthis had yet to claim any attack on the kingdom on Thursday, Reuters reported. Every claim in this story is attributed: the missile destruction is the coalition's account, and no Houthi claim for Thursday had been made at the time of the Reuters report.

Wednesday's claimed Riyadh airport attack remains unconfirmed

The Houthis said on Wednesday they had attacked Riyadh's international airport while Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the kingdom, Reuters reported. Saudi authorities have not confirmed that attack.

During that same visit, the Syrian leader witnessed the signing of a defence agreement alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — their second meeting in Saudi Arabia in less than a month — a deal Awaaz Punjab reported separately, with more than $403 million in Saudi loans for Syria. (Yaani: $403 million is about Rs 3,600 crore.) No details were provided on what the defence agreement entails, and Reuters reported last month that Damascus was carefully weighing providing military assistance to Riyadh. Read the earlier story: Saudi-Syria defence agreement and $403m in loans

Riyadh is gathering outside support

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter and a key US ally, has been requesting assistance from countries ranging from the US to Europe and the Middle East, for both defensive and offensive support in its renewed war against the Houthis, Reuters said. Egypt last month gave approval for its military, one of the region's biggest, to provide help to the kingdom.

Turkey is set to ratify a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defence clause, committing NATO's second-largest army to Riyadh's defence, Reuters reported, and Britain said in October it will fly fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities from Houthi aerial attacks. Read: Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan defence pact

Why it matters beyond Saudi Arabia: Yanbu is one of the kingdom's main oil export outlets on the Red Sea, and continued alerts around Saudi oil and border areas keep the security of Gulf energy routes — and of the large Indian and Punjabi workforce across the Gulf — in focus. What happens next will depend on whether the Houthis claim or launch further attacks, and on how quickly the outside defensive support Riyadh has been requesting takes shape.