Houthi rebels struck the headquarters of Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, causing a limited fire and damage to executive offices. The attack marks a significant escalation in the conflict between the Iran-backed group and Saudi Arabia.
Houthi rebels struck the headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco in the city of Dhahran on Tuesday, causing a limited fire and damaging executive offices, according to Saudi authorities and regional officials. The attack represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Iran-backed group and the Saudi-led coalition.
The Saudi energy ministry reported a "limited fire" at the Aramco administrative building in Dhahran. While the ministry stated there were no fatalities or injuries, regional officials told Global News that the top three floors of a building used by top executives were damaged. One official noted that the office of the Aramco chief executive was among those hit. The Financial Times reported that the building houses a "nerve centre" for Aramco’s operations, including the Oil Supply Planning and Scheduling department, as well as finance and legal departments.
Brigadier General Yahya Sare’e, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, said in an X post that the group had targeted the Aramco headquarters, Riyadh airport, and Aramco’s Riyadh refinery. The Houthis described the strikes as retaliation for "treacherous Saudi aggression" against the rebel-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
The Saudi-led military coalition reported intercepting cruise and ballistic missiles and drones targeting Riyadh, a ballistic missile targeting Dhahran, and a cruise missile targeting Al-Kharj. In a separate incident in Riyadh, Saudi civil defense said debris from an interception injured a foreigner from an Arab country. Other reports indicate that four people were wounded by debris from intercepted Houthi cruise missiles in Riyadh, and 15 homes were damaged.
The escalation has disrupted aviation and energy markets. Over 3,000 flights scheduled to depart from airports across Saudi Arabia have been canceled or listed as not operating in the past week, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times, including a Saturday attack that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to CNN. The airport has been closed until October 17.
US President Donald Trump said he is evaluating whether the US should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. He wrote on his Truth Social platform that "the Houthis are behaving very badly," accusing them of acting "probably at the behest of Iran."
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated that the "terrorist Houthi militia will face the consequences of its crimes and repeated heinous attacks" on the kingdom’s airports and cities. Meanwhile, a senior Houthi official, Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, said that regional and international powers, including Oman, Russia, and China, have reached out in an effort to stop the attacks. "We’re welcoming any mediation that leads to an end of the war and the blockade between Sanaa and Riyadh," al-Bukhaiti said.
The strike on Aramco, the world’s largest crude oil producer, threatens the backbone of the Saudi economy and a critical source of global energy supplies. The conflict has revived Yemen’s civil war after four years of relative calm, with the Houthis applying increasing pressure on a key US ally. The International Monetary Fund predicts Saudi Arabia’s GDP will shrink 3.3 percent this year due to the regional instability.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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