The Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on oil facilities west of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday, Houthi-linked broadcaster Al-Masirah reported, without providing evidence.

The report came shortly after a coalition spokesman urged residents in the area to evacuate for their safety. Witnesses in Sanaa said they heard explosions, but it was not immediately clear what had been hit.

The strikes followed escalating threats between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition, which supports forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Earlier Tuesday, the coalition called on civilians to evacuate the Yemeni Oil Company’s site and nearby storage areas in al-Subaha, western Sanaa, ahead of a possible strike.

Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree warned on Telegram that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would be met with a “firm and painful” response in Riyadh.

The latest escalation comes as Saudi Arabia investigates how its air defences failed to intercept a barrage of Houthi missiles and drones, including an attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday that killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the report.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis intensified last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital route for Gulf oil and other goods at the southern end of the Red Sea. The Saudi-led coalition has been seeking to retake those areas.

The Houthis also renewed their warning against the use of Saudi airspace on Tuesday, according to Houthi-controlled media. Several airlines have suspended services to Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks on airports.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged the Houthis to immediately stop their attacks on Saudi Arabia during a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“There is no justification for these attacks, and they cannot be accepted,” Abdelatty said, according to an Egyptian statement.

He also called for diplomatic efforts and a political solution to the conflict between Iran and the United States to prevent further escalation and instability in the region.

The Saudi-led coalition said three drones were intercepted north of Riyadh earlier Tuesday. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim.

Saudi Arabia has been urging the United States to provide more direct military support against the Houthis. Washington has shared intelligence, identified targets and assisted with planning for the Saudi-led offensive but has so far refrained from conducting strikes against the rebels.

A US intervention could prompt the Houthis to target shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially disrupting oil shipments from the Persian Gulf.

US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday that the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly” but did not say whether Washington would respond to the rebels.