Saudi Air Defenses Down Missiles as Aramco Site Sustains Damage
Debris from intercepted projectiles struck a building in Riyadh’s financial district, while Israel’s president tasks Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government.
By Alina Campbell ·
Saudi Arabia confirmed the interception of four missiles targeting its capital and southern regions on Sunday, resulting in localized damage to a state-owned oil facility.
Witnesses in Riyadh reported hearing a loud explosion early Sunday morning. They described visible damage across multiple floors of a building belonging to Saudi Aramco in the King Abdullah Financial District. Some sections showed heavy structural impact, while others suffered broken exterior glass. The Saudi energy ministry stated that falling shrapnel caused minor damage to the structure and that no casualties were reported.
The Saudi-led coalition announced that its air defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles. The coalition attributed the ballistic projectiles to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The group did not immediately claim responsibility for the specific Sunday attack, though it has asserted control over previous similar incidents. Additionally, coalition forces downed another ballistic missile overnight that targeted the southern region bordering Yemen.
The missile strikes follow Saudi airstrikes conducted near Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, on Saturday. Houthi officials stated that those strikes killed at least 27 people. The Saudi Center for International Communication and Aramco did not respond to initial requests for comment regarding the extent of the damage to the energy firm’s headquarters.
Maritime security concerns escalated in the region as the United Arab Emirates reported rescuing 22 crew members from a cargo ship that caught fire in the Sea of Oman. The UAE National Guard said all rescued individuals, who held Arab nationalities, were in stable condition after receiving first aid. The British military organization UK Maritime Trade Operations noted that a tanker caught fire Saturday approximately eight nautical miles northwest of Khasab, Oman. It remains unclear if the vessel rescued by the UAE is the same ship identified by the British organization.
Shipping risks have increased due to the ongoing conflict and U.S. enforcement of a naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces disabled a St. Kitts-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, citing an attempt to breach the blockade. Separately, the Iranian military announced late Saturday that two tankers struck mines in the Hormuz area and ignited. Neither the UAE nor the British maritime organization identified the specific vessels or determined the cause of the fires.
In Israel, President Isaac Herzog designated Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government. Eisenkot served as the country’s former military chief and emerged as the primary rival to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 election. Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority in that vote, which failed to produce a clear winner. Herzog’s decision follows days of consultations with Knesset members. Eisenkot must now begin coalition negotiations within six weeks. He faces a difficult task in a nation still processing the impact of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and the subsequent three years of conflict in Gaza and other regions.
