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Misbar’s editorial team reported September 20 that social media users had shared the video with captions claiming it showed explosions and fires at oil installations in Yanbu following Houthi military operations. The clip depicted large flames and thick smoke rising from industrial structures, aligning with announcements from Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree that his forces had launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at sensitive targets in Riyadh and Aramco sites in Yanbu. Saudi officials stated that coalition air defenses had intercepted the threats and prevented strikes on Yanbu along with several other locations. The Houthi claims came amid renewed escalation after the group seized additional Red Sea coastal territory earlier in the month.
A Reuters investigation determined that the footage originated in July 2021 during a fire at Jebel Ali Port triggered by a container explosion aboard a cargo vessel. The Dubai Media Office released the video at the time, confirming that port authorities had extinguished the blaze within 40 minutes and that no injuries occurred among crew members or responders. Okaz newspaper highlighted the video’s reappearance in Saudi coverage, noting its complete disconnection from events in Yanbu or any Saudi territory. The 2021 incident involved no military activity and centered on routine port operations in the United Arab Emirates.
Houthi statements on September 19 asserted that both operations achieved direct hits and caused widespread destruction at the targeted facilities, according to translations carried by regional outlets including Mathrubhumi English. Saudi authorities countered that no damage occurred in Yanbu while acknowledging a separate fire at a fuel storage depot near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that led to brief flight delays. The Riyadh incident involved a tank bearing Aramco markings but remained unrelated to the Yanbu claims or any confirmed strike.
Yanbu serves as Saudi Arabia’s primary Red Sea oil export terminal, handling millions of barrels daily via the East-West Pipeline when shipments avoid the Strait of Hormuz, according to data compiled by Vortexa and cited in Windward maritime assessments. The pipeline carried roughly 3.2 million barrels per day in August before recent tensions intensified, a figure that reflected increased utilization after disruptions elsewhere in the kingdom’s export network. Houthi advances in September included control of Perim Island and other strategic points along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, developments that Windward said heightened risks to Red Sea shipping routes.
Verification teams have documented repeated instances in which older footage from UAE fires, including the 2021 Jebel Ali event, has been repurposed during periods of regional conflict. AFP fact checks and similar reviews by Reuters have identified the same Dubai-area clips misrepresented in connection with later incidents involving alleged drone or missile activity. Platforms such as X saw the misleading Yanbu post gain initial engagement before fact-checkers intervened to clarify its origins.
The episode coincides with broader Houthi operations that a September 19 statement from Yahya Saree described as retaliation for Saudi actions against Yemeni targets. Saudi-led coalition updates confirmed the interception of a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh while reporting no successful strikes on energy infrastructure in Yanbu or elsewhere. Authorities in both countries have called for caution regarding unverified visual material circulating amid the latest flare-up in cross-border tensions.
