In brief
A Houthi‑launched missile slammed into an Aramco administrative building in Dhahran after a Saudi‑led coalition bombed a fuel depot near Sanaa, sparking a flurry of counter‑missiles and drone intercepts across the Kingdom. The blast caused a limited fire but no casualties at the oil giant’s premises, though debris from an intercepted rocket injured four people in Riyadh. The Houthis said they were striking back for the coalition’s attack on Yemen’s al‑Sabaha fuel depot and warned of further hits on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure. Saudi officials and the IMF have cautioned that the escalating conflict could produce global economic ripple effects, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s cabinet vowed decisive retaliation. With Yemen’s war back on a violent resurgence after the Houthis seized coastal territory, the latest exchange highlights the fragile security of the Gulf region and the risk of broader escalation.
A Houthi‑launched ballistic missile struck an Aramco administrative building in Dhahran overnight, after a Saudi‑led coalition drone and missile strike hit a fuel depot near Sanaa.
Saudi officials said the blast caused only a limited fire in the red‑brick block of the headquarters and that no one was hurt inside the compound.
The coalition claimed it had intercepted or destroyed multiple missiles and drones earlier that day. Several rockets were downed over the capital, and defensive crews reported debris from a struck missile hitting a residential neighbourhood in Riyadh, injuring four civilians.
The Houthis say the attack was a response to the coalition’s strike on the Yemen Petroleum Company’s al‑Sabaha fuel depot. They warned that further strikes on Saudi airports – including King Khalid – and oil facilities would follow.
Officials at the International Monetary Fund said the fighting risks spilling over globally and could disrupt the petro‑chemical supply chain. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s cabinet vowed that the kingdom would deal with the “consequences” of the Houthi campaign.
The battle, which began in 2014, has returned to heightened intensity after the Houthis seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and accelerated missile and drone attacks on Saudi lands.
While Saudi air strikes have driven the insurgents back in some coastal pockets, the violence continues, raising concerns that a broader regional destabilisation could ensue.
