Fact check: Viral video does not show Houthi attack on Saudi's Abha International Airport amid current Mideast tensions

Multiple users have been sharing a video on social media platform X on July 14, 2026, alleging that it shows Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport after attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. However, the video shows a March 2022 Houthi attack at a Saudi Aramco facility. According to the Associated Press, on July 13, 2026, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones targeting Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport in retaliation for airstrikes they blamed on Saudi Arabia that struck Sanaa International Airport earlier the same day. No casualties were reported, but the exchange marked the most serious escalation between the two sides in years. The Houthis warned airlines against using Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa airport is lifted, while Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the strikes on Sanaa were intended to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. Following a Houthi missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on July 14, several flights between the UAE and Abha were cancelled, including services operated by flydubai and Air Arabia. How it started On July 14, a Russian user, based on their profile, shared a video on X allegedly showing Abha International Airport engulfed after an attack from Yemen. The post was captioned: “Officially: Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia is now out of service after the recent Yemeni shelling that completely destroyed it.” The post attracted 1.3 million views. A Yemeni account shared the last 14 seconds of the viral video with a similar context, with the following caption: “New footage from Abha International Airport shows columns of smoke and flames rising, following the arrival of Yemeni missiles at their specified targets.” The post gained 249,000 views. A Spanish user shared the same video with the following caption: “Confirmed, Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia completely destroyed and out of service due to missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, after more than eleven years of siege and blockade by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, Yemen breaks the blockade and siege and attacks Saudi Arabia.” The post garnered 89,000 views. A Pakistani account also shared the same video with a similar caption and claim. The post gained 41,000 views on X. Another account on X also shared the same video with a similar claim, gaining 30,000 views. The same video with a similar context was shared by several other users on X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, and here; collectively accumulating 30,000 views. The same video was also shared with several other claims, such as an attack on Saudi oil refineries and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government attacking Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport. Methodology A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. To investigate the viral video, a reverse image search was conducted, which yielded a Reuters report published on March 26, 2022, titled “Saudi Aramco petroleum storage site hit by Houthi attack, fire erupts.” According to a report, in March 2022, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, including an Aramco petroleum products distribution facility in Jeddah, where two storage tanks caught fire, but no casualties were reported. The attack caused a large plume of smoke visible near the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix venue. Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes, blamed Iran for supplying the Houthis with advanced weapons (an allegation Tehran denied), and warned that continued attacks could disrupt global oil supplies. In response, the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, while international actors, including the United States, condemned the attacks and called for de-escalation amid ongoing efforts to secure a truce in Yemen’s long-running conflict. The Reuters report features the same visuals as those seen in the viral video. Reuters also published the same footage on its official YouTube channel the same day. Additionally, the Houthis’ attack on Saudi Aramco’s petroleum facility was widely reported by several local and international media outlets, including The Express Tribune and Al Jazeera, in March 2022. Fact-check status: Misleading The claim that a viral video shows Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport after attacks by Yemen’s Houthis amid the current tensions in the Middle East is misleading. The video is old and shows a March 2022 Houthi attack on a Saudi Aramco facility. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.

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