Houthi Missiles Damage Aramco Tower in Riyadh as Saudi Air Defences Intercept Attack

A Saudi Aramco tower in Riyadh was damaged on Sunday after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a missile attack on the Saudi capital, in a sharp escalation of a campaign that has repeatedly targeted the kingdom's energy infrastructure. Source: Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said an administrative building belonging to the state oil giant was subjected to an attempted attack, and that falling shrapnel caused minor damage to the building. No injuries or fatalities were reported, the ministry said in a statement carried by Saudi state media. Source: Dawn

A Reuters witness saw blown-out windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the King Abdullah Financial District, the capital's financial centre. Eyewitnesses told AFP that multiple floors appeared damaged, with shattered glass and part of the building's facade affected. Source: Reuters

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two missiles launched towards Riyadh, and a further missile in the kingdom's southern region. Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Malki said the interceptions took place on Sunday morning, as loud explosions were heard across the capital. Source: The Times of Israel

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had carried out four operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. In an English-language statement, the group listed its targets as the financial district, King Khalid International Airport, Aramco oil storage tanks and the eastern city of Abqaiq. Source: Dawn

The attack matters because it brings the war in Yemen directly to the heart of Saudi Arabia's financial district and its most valuable company. Aramco is the world's largest oil exporter, and strikes on its facilities have repeatedly rattled energy markets and raised questions about the security of Gulf oil infrastructure. Sunday's attack showed that even heavily defended Riyadh remains within reach of Houthi missiles. Source: The Times of Israel

It also comes at a moment of wider regional tension. The United States is pressing a naval blockade of Iran, the Houthis' main backer, while diplomatic efforts to end that conflict have stalled. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that negotiations with Iran had made little progress, and President Donald Trump is due to meet Qatar's prime minister at the White House on Monday to discuss mediation efforts. Source: Arab News

Aramco facilities have been struck repeatedly in recent months, with tankers, refineries, storage areas and the company headquarters all targeted. The company's headquarters suffered extensive damage in an attack in October, according to reports, and Sunday's strike on the Riyadh tower is the latest in a series that has widened from oil installations to the capital's financial district itself. Source: Reuters

Saudi authorities have not said whether the damage will affect Aramco's operations, and the company did not immediately comment. Oil markets will be watching for any disruption to exports, while the coalition is expected to step up air defences around Riyadh and other major cities. The Houthis, for their part, have signalled that attacks on Saudi targets will continue while the regional conflict lasts. Source: Dawn

This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against multiple independent sources.