The key facts

  • A projectile damaged a tower in Riyadh's financial district, Reuters reports
  • Air defenses intercepted two missiles over the capital, and two more over the Eastern Province and the south of the country
  • Saudi Arabia did not confirm the fire at oil facilities in Abqaiq

Damage in the capital's business district

A tower in one of Riyadh's largest financial districts was damaged by a projectile strike, Reuters reports. This followed a series of explosions in the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Interceptions and unconfirmed reports

According to the Arab coalition, air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at Riyadh, while one more missile each was destroyed over the Eastern Province and the south of the kingdom. The Iranian TV channel Press TV reported a fire at oil facilities in Abqaiq, but the Saudi authorities have not yet confirmed this information.

Context of the confrontation

On November 4, the Houthis claimed a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh airport, asserting that the air hub had sustained direct damage and significant destruction. Earlier, they attacked the building of the Saudi Ministry of Defense.

Start of the escalation

The escalation in the region began in mid-July, when pro-government Yemeni forces attacked Sanaa airport as a plane arriving from Iran with a Houthi delegation was landing. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the incident and declared war on it; since then, the sides have regularly exchanged strikes.