Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Air defence systems operated by Greek military personnel intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen and targeting oil refineries in Yanbu on Saturday, Greek security sources told Reuters. The system later shot down a drone launched from Yemen in the Yanbu region.
Warnings issued
Saudi civil defence issued several warnings for Yanbu, on the Red Sea, before later saying the danger had passed.
It also issued a warning for the port city of Jizan, about 1,000 kilometres south of Yanbu near the Yemeni border. There were no immediate official reports of damage.
Greek Patriot deployment
The Greek-operated system is a US-made Patriot air defence battery deployed in Saudi Arabia since 2021 under an agreement to help protect the kingdom’s energy infrastructure, according to the Greek security sources.
Regional escalation
US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen after the Houthis said they had struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday.
The Houthis, who control northern and western Yemen, have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been diverting millions of barrels of oil daily by pipeline to the Red Sea to avoid Iran’s near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
A Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it had struck Houthi military sites in recent days following the attacks on the Saudi tankers.
The US military launched air strikes on Iran late on Thursday and early on Friday, marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks. There were no reports of further US strikes on Saturday.