Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, opening a new question over the risk of regional spillover from Yemen’s fighting.

The claim was carried by the Houthi-run SABA news agency and reported by AP. The report said the facility was run by Saudi Aramco, but there were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi authorities.

The claimed attack follows renewed clashes between the Houthis and government forces in Yemen. AP reported that the United Nations had recorded at least 17 civilian deaths in government-controlled areas from rebel attacks since 6 August, alongside separate casualties in Houthi-controlled areas.

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The alleged refinery strike should not be treated as verified damage. The next reporting steps are to establish whether Saudi authorities confirm an incident, whether Aramco reports disruption and whether Yemen’s fighting continues to spread across maritime and energy routes.