Old Saudi fire footage misrepresented as recent Houthi attack
- Published on July 20, 2026 at 10:21
- 2 min read
- By AFP Middle East & North Africa
- Translation and adaptation Pasika KHERNAMNUOY, AFP Thailand
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia in July 2026 after the rebels accused the kingdom of attacking Sanaa airport, but footage of a massive blaze circulating online is unrelated to the strikes. The video shows a fire that engulfed a Saudi Aramco petroleum storage facility in the coastal city of Jeddah in March 2022.
"Reports say that Yemen's Houthi forces targeted Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport, escalating regional tensions," reads the Thai-language caption of a Facebook reel posted July 16, 2026.
"Saudi officials said a missile was intercepted, while the Houthis vowed further retaliation," it adds.
The clip shows thick black smoke billowing into the night sky from a massive fire at an industrial compound.
The post surfaced after Houthi rebels announced they had targeted Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport on July 13, after accusing the kingdom of attacking Sanaa airport (archived link).
The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack on the Houthi-held airport, saying it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.
The latest escalation threatens to unravel a truce that has been holding since 2022 despite expiring, and comes at a time of heightened tensions as the United States and Iran trade attacks impacting the Gulf and traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The video circulated with similar claims across Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok in multiple languages.
But the footage actually shows a fire at Saudi Aramco's petroleum products distribution facility in Jeddah in 2022.
A reverse image search on Google led to a higher-quality version of the same clip published by Al Jazeera on March 26, 2022 (archived link).
"Saudi Arabia attacks: Yemen's Houthi rebels target oil facilities," reads the title of the YouTube video.
The same footage also appeared in reports by Reuters and Turkish public broadcaster TRT World (archived here and here).
An AFP report from March 2022 said flames ripped through the nearby Aramco oil refinery following a Houthi attack (archived link).
Drivers in the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix smelt the smoke during their opening practice run, with the event continuing as planned.
AFP also distributed videos of the fire, including one showing corresponding features to the circulating footage.
The video caption reads: "Plumes of smoke rise from a Saudi Aramco oil facility, sparking a massive fire visible from the Jeddah Formula One circuit. Yemeni rebels claimed to have attacked an oil facility as part of a wave of drone and missile attacks on Friday".
More of our reporting on misinformation linked to Houthi attacks can be found here.
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