Four missiles targeting Riyadh and other areas intercepted; debris damages Aramco building
Key Facts
Shrapnel from intercepted missiles damaged an Aramco building in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, after coalition forces said air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles early Sunday that targeted Riyadh and other areas. The coalition accused Yemen’s Houthi group of launching the missiles, according to The Associated Press. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said there were no injuries at the Aramco facility. In a statement Sunday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group had hit the financial district and other targets. The agency did not confirm a direct hit on Aramco’s operations center, reporting that the building was damaged by falling debris after the missiles were intercepted.
The differing accounts underscore the need to distinguish between what the group claimed and what authorities confirmed about damage on the ground. Sarea said the attack was in response to recent strikes on a village and market in Yemen that caused deaths and injuries. The Associated Press reported his claim that the financial district and other targets were hit, while attributing damage to the Aramco building to debris from the intercepted missiles. The Energy Ministry reported no injuries at the facility. The agency’s report did not provide evidence that the Aramco building was directly hit by the missiles.
The incident followed the interception of a cruise missile launched toward the Riyadh region the previous day. The Saudi Press Agency said the coalition intercepted and destroyed the missile on 7 November. In the broader context of rising tensions, The Associated Press reported that Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government launched a military campaign the previous month aimed at pushing the Houthis away from the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The agency also reported that Saudi authorities were investigating airstrikes near Sanaa on 7 November, after Houthi health authorities said at least 40 people were killed. These events form part of the escalation that preceded the damage to the Aramco building in Riyadh.
In a separate development concerning the group’s missile capabilities, the Conflict Armament Research organization said, according to a report cited by The Associated Press, that the Houthis were trying to build a medium-range ballistic missile system with the help of Chinese parts. The report linked the potential system to Iran’s Kheibar Shekan missile, which the agency said has a range of about 1,200 miles, or 2,000 kilometers. The report drew on information provided by Yemeni authorities about two intercepted shipments that had come from China and were bound for Hodeidah. The information said the shipments contained suspicious equipment and missile components. The report does not establish that Chinese parts were used in the intercepted missiles or in the Aramco building incident.
Saudi-U.S. communications had addressed Houthi attacks and efforts to reduce tensions before the incident. The Saudi Press Agency said Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman discussed the matter in a phone call on 3 November with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. According to the statement, the call covered opportunities for strategic defense cooperation and regional and international developments. The statement referred to continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and efforts to reduce tensions in the region. It did not mention any specific action taken after the damage to the Aramco building.