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Saudi Aramco headquarters hit by Houthi strikes as regional tensions continue to escalate
A Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant, Aramco, and fresh Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen have intensified tensions across the region.
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Saudi Aramco’s executive headquarters in Dhahran was struck by a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said. The attack caused a fire in part of the complex. No deaths or injuries were reported, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
According to the ministry, emergency crews quickly contained the blaze after the missile struck an administrative building at the headquarters of the state-owned oil giant. Authorities said operations continued after the attack. Damage had also remained limited.
Aramco did not immediately comment on the incident.
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Oil infrastructure and airports remain under threat
Tuesday’s strike is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure.
The strike followed a warning from Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, who urged civilians and workers to evacuate Saudi oil facilities. Saree also urged civilians and workers to evacuate Saudi oil facilities.
The warning came after the Saudi-led coalition advised civilians to leave the Yemeni Oil Company’s al-Sabah central station in Houthi-controlled Sanaa ahead of planned military operations.
According to Bloomberg, an earlier Houthi attack forced the shutdown of the Jazan refinery, while another targeted a key oil export terminal on the Red Sea. A cross-country pipeline used by Aramco to transport crude to global markets was also temporarily shut after an earlier attack launched from Iraq.
Dhahran occupies a critical place in Saudi Arabia’s energy industry. Besides housing Aramco’s headquarters, the city is home to major petroleum facilities, military installations and some of the kingdom’s largest oil-producing fields.
The Houthis have also widened their campaign beyond energy sites.
Recent missile and drone attacks have struck airports across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. According to Al Jazeera, at least 18 people have been killed and hundreds injured in attacks over recent days.
The coalition also reported intercepting three Houthi drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday.
Also read: Saudi Arabia’s Houthi challenge: A regional conflict with global stakes
Regional tensions continue to escalate
The exchange followed fresh Saudi air strikes inside Yemen.
Al Jazeera reported that explosions were heard in Sanaa after coalition aircraft targeted the al-Sabah oil facility. Houthi-affiliated media also reported strikes on Ras Isa port, oil storage facilities and fuel infrastructure in Hodeidah province.
Saree also warned that any Saudi strike on Sanaa would be met with a “harsh and painful” response targeting Riyadh and additional strategic facilities across the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis would face “consequences” for attacks on civilian infrastructure across the kingdom, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
