Saudi Arabia says danger passed in Riyadh after alert, day after Houthi attack

Saudi Arabia's civil defence authorities declared the danger had passed in Riyadh on Monday, shortly after raising an alert, a day after Yemen's Houthis attacked an office building of oil giant Aramco in the capital. On Sunday, fragments from a failed attack shattered windows on multiple floors of Aramco Tower located in Riyadh's financial district. The Saudi energy ministry reported the damage was minor with no reported casualties, while the Saudi-led coalition stated they had intercepted Houthi missiles over the city.

The Houthis, who acknowledged responsibility for the Sunday attack, have intensified missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities. The conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group reignited in July, adding another dimension to the broader Middle East war that erupted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

In response, Saudi Arabia has conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. This escalation has shattered a 2022 UN-backed truce that had largely maintained peace between the kingdom and the group.