Houthi rebels in Yemen struck the headquarters of the Saudi state-owned oil company, Aramco, during an overnight attack on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The strike in Dhahran damaged the top three floors of the building, including the offices of senior executives and the firm's chief executive. Two regional officials, speaking anonymously, stated there were no casualties in the Dhahran attack, though a "limited fire" was reported by the Saudi energy ministry.
The strike was part of a larger wave of aerial attacks targeting multiple Saudi cities. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting two Houthi drones, five ballistic missiles, and five cruise missiles directed at Riyadh, Dhahran, and the industrial city of Al-Kharj. In the capital of Riyadh, civil defense authorities said falling debris from an intercepted missile injured one person and damaged a building and vehicle. Houthi officials characterized the strikes as retaliation for recent Saudi-led military offensives in Yemen.
Tensions have increased following a series of similar attacks over the past week. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been targeted multiple times, resulting in at least 18 deaths and 300 injuries. These incidents have disrupted regional aviation, with the analytics firm Cirium reporting that more than 3,000 scheduled flights in Saudi Arabia have been canceled or listed as non-operational in the last week. In response to the escalation, U.S. President Donald Trump stated he is evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi military strikes against the Houthis.
The conflict has put a strain on Saudi Arabia's defensive capabilities. Regional officials report that the kingdom, a primary purchaser of U.S. military hardware, is running low on the interceptor missiles used to stop Houthi drones and warheads. This supply shortage may force a shift in regional security policy or necessitate further military aid from allies. The International Committee of the Red Cross noted an "unprecedented surge" in combat casualties along Yemen's front lines, suggesting the four-year period of relative calm in the Yemeni civil war has ended.
Negotiation efforts are currently underway, though their outcome remains uncertain. Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti stated that Oman, Russia, and China have attempted to mediate a ceasefire. The Houthis have expressed a willingness to end the war and the blockade between Sanaa and Riyadh but have warned that attacks on oil facilities and airports will continue in the absence of a comprehensive agreement. In Yemen, schools in Taiz have been ordered closed for one month starting Wednesday, October 14, 2026, as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.