Houthi Strike Damages Aramco Headquarters in Dhahran; Houthis Vow Further Attacks

A Houthi attack on Tuesday night struck the Saudi Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry stated that a limited fire broke out in an administrative building and that authorities took necessary measures. No deaths or injuries were reported by the ministry.

Sources with knowledge of the site told Reuters that the fire began on the ninth floor of the south wing and spread between the sixth and tenth floors. They described extensive damage, including collapsed ceiling sections, blown-out windows and doors, and severe effects on the top three floors where the office of Aramco CEO Amin Nasser is located. Operations at the complex continued, though some employees were asked to work from home and certain functions were shifted to other offices. The fire was still burning into the early hours of Wednesday, according to one account.

The complex houses an operations centre that monitors Aramco's network of onshore and offshore facilities, pipelines, refineries and export terminals. A company source said a ballistic missile hit an office tower. The Houthis later claimed they had launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at the Dhahran facilities, Riyadh airport and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh.

The strike forms part of an intensified exchange. On Saturday a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people. Saudi-led forces have conducted strikes in Yemen, including on an oil facility near Sanaa. The Houthis described the Dhahran attack as retaliation and stated that airports and oil facilities remain legitimate targets. They vowed to continue operations.

The incident raises the risk of further disruption to Saudi energy infrastructure at a time when shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is already under pressure from related attacks. Two cargo ships have sunk near the strait after being hit by projectiles in recent days. Oil markets have responded to the broader escalation with higher prices.

Aramco has not issued a detailed public statement beyond the ministry's description of a limited fire. The gap between the official characterisation and the accounts of multi-floor damage will be tested by subsequent satellite imagery, repair timelines and any production impact. For the moment, the confirmed facts are a strike on the headquarters complex, a fire that required response, and a Houthi commitment to further attacks on similar sites.