Despite warnings from the US, Pakistan and Turkey, Iran-backed Houthis target world’s largest oil company as Saudi Arabia reveals surprising detail

In a recent escalation in the Middle East, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched a targeted attack on an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh.

• Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a targeted attack on a Saudi Aramco building in Riyadh, causing minor shrapnel damage but no casualties.
• The skyscraper, located in the prestigious King Abdullah Financial District, sustained visible damage with shattered glass reported by eyewitnesses.
• Coalition defense forces intercepted two ballistic missiles and destroyed the launchers in Yemen, according to Saudi officials.
• Yemen’s Houthi attack on Saudi was condemned internationally, with the U.S., Egypt, Pakistan, and Türkiye calling it a flagrant violation of international law.

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest oil company by revenue, generating $461.56 billion and maintaining a market capitalization of $1.5 trillion according to financial reference site Investopedia.

The targeted skyscraper is located inside the King Abdullah Financial District, a high-profile business hub housing global institutions such as Goldman Sachs alongside the Saudi stock exchange and sovereign wealth fund.

Houthi rebels strike Saudi Arabia oil skyscraper

Eyewitnesses in the capital reported visible damage to the Aramco tower following the strike, observing shattered glass across multiple floors.

One eyewitness told AFP, “Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that’s the sure thing”.

Following the attack, Saudi officials revealed further details about the event, reporting that coalition defense forces intercepted two incoming ballistic missiles and that falling shrapnel caused only minor damage to the administrative building with zero casualties.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki added that military forces responded by destroying two ballistic missile launchers in northern Yemen that were utilized in the raid.

U.S., Egypt, Pakistan, and Türkiye condemn dangerous escalation after earlier attacks

The assault on the financial hub occurred despite stern diplomatic warnings from a coalition comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Türkiye, collectively known as the R4 Group.

In an official joint statement reported by Business Insider Africa, the four member countries demanded an immediate halt to all hostilities, calling the strikes a “blatant violation of international law” and labeling the escalation “dangerous and unjustifiable under any circumstances“.

This international condemnation followed a separate Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured 309, marking the kingdom’s deadliest attack in over ten years.

United States deputy envoy to the United Nations Jeff Bartos informed a Security Council meeting that “the United States is gravely concerned by the continued escalation by the terrorist Houthis”.

He emphasized that “in the face of the Houthi threat, the United States stands firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” while calling on Iran to immediately stop supplying weapons and support to the militia.