After Riyadh airport, Houthis hit Aramco HQ complex in Saudi Arabia as conflict escalates | VIDEO
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco’s headquarters complex in Dhahran was struck by a ballistic missile, damaging an office tower and triggering a fire, as the conflict between the kingdom and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensified.
The missile reportedly hit the complex in the eastern Saudi city, damaging the building’s top three floors. The strike caused a fire inside the building. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that an administrative building belonging to Aramco had been attacked late on Tuesday, resulting in a “limited fire”. Authorities responded to the incident and took the necessary measures to contain the situation. The ministry added that there were no casualties.
The attack marks a fresh escalation in the widening Middle East conflict and came shortly after a Saudi-led coalition spokesman urged residents to evacuate parts of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, ahead of a possible strike.
Explosions reported in Yemen’s capital
Witnesses reported hearing powerful explosions in Sanaa hours after the Saudi-led coalition struck the Subaha fuel facility west of the Yemeni capital.
Earlier, in a rare public statement, the coalition had urged civilians in the Houthi-controlled city to leave the Yemeni Oil Company facility, situated on a hill overlooking the capital, as well as nearby fuel storage areas, warning of a possible military strike.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki accused the Houthis of using the facility and its underground fuel depots to support their arsenal of missiles and drones.
Houthi officials appeared to have anticipated the attack. The Yemeni Oil Company said its storage facilities were empty and maintained that a Saudi strike would not affect the country’s oil reserves or fuel supplies for residents.
Despite those assurances, witnesses reported queues of cars at several petrol stations in Sanaa as concerns grew over the possibility of fuel shortages.
Following the coalition’s warning, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree issued a threat on Telegram, saying any Saudi attack on Sanaa would be met with a “firm and painful” response in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Hours later, Saudi Arabia issued alerts warning of incoming missiles heading towards Riyadh and the kingdom’s Eastern Province, a major oil-producing region. Authorities subsequently announced that the immediate threat had passed.
Riyadh Airport attack kills 13
Saudi Arabia is continuing to assess how its air defence systems failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones launched by the Houthis. The attacks included a strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300.
The airport attack has raised questions about the effectiveness of the kingdom’s air defence network as the conflict spreads to strategically important locations and energy infrastructure.
The latest round of fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime passage at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The waterway is vital for the movement of oil and other goods between the Gulf region and international markets. Its strategic importance has made control of the area a central issue in the escalating conflict.
The Saudi-led coalition, which supports forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has been attempting to recapture the territories seized by the Houthis.
The fighting has raised concerns over the security of shipping routes and the potential impact on regional energy supplies, particularly as attacks increasingly target locations linked to oil production and transportation.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet warned the Houthis on Tuesday that they would “face consequences” for their repeated attacks on the kingdom. In a statement carried by Saudi state-owned Al-Ekhbariya television, the Cabinet said the country would not tolerate threats to its national security or disruptions to maritime navigation.
“The Kingdom will not allow any threat to its security or to freedom of maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait,” the statement said.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the region’s most important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing a crucial route for commercial shipping and energy supplies.
With missile and drone attacks continuing and both sides issuing increasingly forceful warnings, the latest developments signal a further deterioration in relations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement. The strike on the Aramco complex also underscores the growing risks to critical energy infrastructure as the conflict widens.
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