Houthi Aramco Attack intensifies as Yemen’s Iran-backed group targets Saudi Arabia’s vital energy infrastructure. On Wednesday, a ballistic missile struck an administrative building at the Saudi Aramco complex in Dhahran, the kingdom’s eastern oil hub. The Energy Ministry confirmed a limited fire broke out but reported no injuries or deaths. Authorities quickly contained the blaze.
A company source revealed the missile hit an office tower, damaging its top three floors. The complex houses a major Aramco operations centre that manages oil rigs, pipelines, refineries, and export terminals. This strike forms part of a week-long campaign of missile and drone attacks by the Houthis against key Saudi sites.
The group is retaliating for Riyadh’s renewed support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war. Riyadh’s international airport has already suffered four hits, including a deadly Saturday strike that killed 13 people, the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in a decade. Flights across the country faced repeated groundings.
Saudi civil defence reported four people injured in the capital after debris from intercepted Houthi missiles fell on residential areas, damaging 15 homes. The Saudi-led coalition also intercepted projectiles over Riyadh and southern regions. In response, coalition forces struck an oil depot belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Company on the outskirts of Sanaa, aiming to reduce the Houthis’ ability to threaten Saudi Arabia and international shipping lanes.
The Houthis had earlier warned of a “harsh and painful” response and named the Aramco headquarters in Dhahran as a potential target. They also advised oil workers to stay clear of possible strike zones. Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had already warned of consequences for continued attacks.
The fighting reignited after the Houthis advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait last month. This waterway has grown more critical for Saudi and global energy supplies since the Iran conflict closed the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia continues seeking greater allied support, though the United States has so far declined direct involvement in the Yemen campaign.
