Houthi Missiles Target Riyadh as Aramco Building Is Damaged; Trump Says Iran Strikes ‘Highly Unlikely’
Saudi air defences intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh over the weekend, but falling debris damaged an Aramco building in the capital’s King Abdullah Financial District, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said. No one was killed or injured, according to Saudi officials. The attack came as US President Donald Trump said new American strikes on Iran were “highly unlikely” as long as negotiations make progress, and before his meeting on Monday with Qatar’s prime minister, a key mediator between Washington and Tehran.
What Happened in Riyadh?
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said its air defences destroyed several ballistic missiles launched towards the kingdom on Sunday. Two were aimed at Riyadh and another at the Eastern Province, coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said on X. The coalition also intercepted two missiles over the southern region and a drone, Al Jazeera reported.
A senior source at the energy ministry told Saudi state media that an Aramco administrative building suffered “minor damage” from falling shrapnel after an “attempted” attack. Several news agencies identified it as the Aramco Tower, a skyscraper in the King Abdullah Financial District. Footage verified by BBC Verify appeared to show more extensive damage than officially described, with at least one floor badly hit and windows shattered on more than one level.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed four operations involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. He said they targeted King Khalid International Airport, Aramco oil storage tanks and a financial centre in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Abqaiq and troop positions inside Yemen, and claimed extensive damage. Those claims have not been independently verified. Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria condemned the attacks.
- Target claimed: Riyadh airport, Aramco tanks, Riyadh financial district, Abqaiq
- Confirmed damage: Aramco building in Riyadh’s financial district (Saudi energy ministry)
- Casualties: none reported by Saudi authorities
- Interceptions: ballistic missiles towards Riyadh, the Eastern Province and the south, plus a drone (coalition)
Why Are the Houthis Attacking Saudi Arabia?
The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis had largely been dormant in recent years, but it flared again after the outbreak of the Iran war. An informal truce collapsed in July after the Houthis declared a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia, and the group has since struck airports, oil facilities and tankers. At least 13 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in a Houthi strike on Riyadh’s airport on 10 October. We reported on an earlier wave in our story on the Houthi missile attack on Riyadh airport.
The latest strikes came a day after the Houthis accused the coalition of killing at least 33 people, including women and children, in air strikes on al-Shariyah, a village east of Sanaa. Saudi Arabia did not comment, and the claim could not be independently verified. The UN says more than 1,600 people have been killed and around 300,000 displaced in Yemen since fighting resumed.
What Did Trump Say About Iran?
In a phone interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump said further US military action against Iran was “highly unlikely” to be needed as long as negotiations progressed, though he did not rule it out, Xinhua reported. Anadolu Agency reported that Trump said a return to direct conflict would be unlikely if a deal is reached on Iran’s nuclear programme and on maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz.
His Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, sounded more cautious, suggesting a diplomatic agreement may not be possible and accusing Tehran of making unrealistic demands. Explosions were also reported overnight on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Anadolu reported an Iranian provincial official as saying US strikes there caused no damage to homes, businesses or vital infrastructure, while accounts of what caused the blasts differed.
Why Does Trump’s Meeting With Qatar’s Prime Minister Matter?
Trump is due to meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday. Qatar has been a central go-between in US-Iran contacts and is pushing new proposals to ease tensions. Any progress could affect shipping and energy prices, which have been hit by the conflict, as our report on US operations against Iran’s supply routes explains.
What Else Is Happening in the Region?
A drone strike hit the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, cutting gas supplies to power stations and sharply reducing electricity output, regional authorities said, according to Anadolu Agency. In Yemen, government forces are pressing an offensive to retake Houthi-held territory, while the Houthis seized much of the Red Sea coast in September.
Featured image: the Riyadh skyline with the King Abdullah Financial District and Kingdom Centre, by B.alotaby / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Saudi Aramco building in Riyadh damaged in ‘attempted’ attack (8 November 2026).
- BBC News — Aramco Tower hit in heart of Saudi capital as Houthis launch fresh strikes (8 November 2026).
- Xinhua — Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Nov. 9 (9 November 2026).
- Anadolu Agency — Morning Briefing: Nov. 9 (9 November 2026).
