Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles; Aramco tower in Riyadh damaged
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said an Aramco administrative building in Riyadh’s financial district suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel on Sunday, with no injuries. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted four missiles it attributed to the Houthis, who claimed attacks on Riyadh’s financial district and other targets.
Bias breakdown and outlet coverageon the RUSH story page →What Saudi authorities said
CNN reported that the official Saudi Press Agency, citing a source at the Energy Ministry, said an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was “subjected to an attempted attack.” The incident “resulted in falling shrapnel that caused minor damage to the building, with no injuries or fatalities reported,” the agency said. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh and other regions, which he attributed to the Houthis, according to CNN and ABC News.
What witnesses and outlets reported
NBC News reported that a witness described blown-out windows across several floors of the Aramco Tower in the King Abdullah Financial District. CNN said video it verified shows damage to upper floors, and noted that one witness saw ambulances heading to the area even though Saudi authorities described the impact as minimal. ABC News, carrying the Associated Press, said some floors appeared heavily damaged, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Houthi claim
CNN reported early Sunday that the Houthis had not claimed responsibility. Later, Breitbart, carrying AFP reporting, said the Houthis claimed four operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, listing the financial district, Riyadh airport, Aramco oil storage tanks and the eastern city of Abqaiq as targets. An eyewitness told AFP that “Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that’s the sure thing.”
Background
NBC News reported that a 2022 UN-brokered truce collapsed when fighting resumed in July, and that the Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities since. It reported that Houthi-run health officials said Saudi airstrikes near Sanaa killed at least 33 people on Saturday, and that Saudi authorities said they were investigating.
Why this matters
The King Abdullah Financial District houses major Saudi and international companies. Breitbart, citing AFP, described targeting it as a major escalation, while Saudi authorities described the damage as minor.