Houthi missile damages Saudi Aramco Tower in Riyadh in fresh attack

Published: 12:02 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 12:04 EDT, 8 November 2026 A huge skyscraper in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh has been damaged after an air strike by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.Windows were blown out on several floors of the building owned by a Saudi oil giant, Aramco, in the financial district of the city.A state source from the country's energy ministry said that debris from an intercepted missile caused damage to the tower. The missile had been intended to hit the building, but Saudi air defences intercepted the missile in the early hours.The strike caused 'limited' damage and no one was injured or killed in the attack, the source said. However, the strikes marked another escalation in the conflict between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Kingdom. Video footage from Riyadh showed smoke rising from the tower, a landmark edifice known as Villas in the Sky.The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, as Saudi Arabia becomes another battleground in the wider US and Israeli war against Iran.Schools in the kingdom had resumed in-person classes on Sunday after weeks of home learning and several Saudi government agencies returned to in-office work, which had been suspended after earlier Houthi attacks.The huge Aramco tower in the Saudi capital Riyadh was damaged from falling debris Windows were blown out on several floors of the building owned by the Saudi oil giantThe Houthis have ramped up strikes on Aramco facilities in recent weeks, including the oil giant's headquarters in Dhahran in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen said air defences also intercepted a Houthi missile on Sunday in the province, where most of the oil and gas reserves of the world's largest crude exporter lie. It said they had also destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in Saada used by the Houthis in the Sunday attack on Riyadh.The renewed fighting between the Houthis and the coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government intensified after the group advanced in September toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz.The Houthis have since stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi ports and airports, including Riyadh's international airport. The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the airport was targeted in Sunday's attacks, but there was no confirmation from Saudi authorities.A strike on the airport in October killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.In response to the attacks, Saudi Arabia has been carrying out air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The strike caused 'limited' damage and no one was injured or killed in the attackThe latest escalation comes a day after Yemen's Houthi-run health ministry said Saudi airstrikes killed at least 33 people near Sanaa. Saudi authorities said they were investigating.The kingdom, a key US ally, has also been requesting assistance from the US as well as countries in Europe and the Middle East, for both defensive and offensive support against the Yemeni group.Britain said in October it would fly fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect ‌Saudi cities from Houthi aerial attacks.Saudi Arabia has pursued the diplomatic route as well, with top officials from Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran last month. Tehran later said talks with Riyadh were continuing to seek new regional security arrangements that would exclude foreign military involvement.