Aramco Headquarters Fire Spread Across Several Floors, Sources Say, as Houthis Float Ceasefire Terms

Since Houthi forces began hitting Saudi airports and oil sites in recent weeks, the strike on Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran on the night of Tuesday, Oct. 13, has become the most visible hit on the kingdom's oil establishment. Details of the damage are now coming into focus, and they differ from the official description.

How bad the damage is

The Saudi energy ministry said the attack caused a "limited fire" and no injuries or deaths. Three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters the damage was extensive, with a fire spreading across several floors.

Two of them said the fire started on the ninth floor of the building's south wing and spread between the sixth and 10th floors. Another said the top three floors, which include the office of Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, were severely damaged. Part of the ceiling caved in, and windows and doors were blown out.

A fourth person told Reuters the fire was still burning into the early hours of Wednesday. Two regional officials told the Associated Press, also on condition of anonymity, that the top three floors were damaged and that there were no casualties. Aramco has not commented publicly.

What it means for operations

The complex houses an operations center that helps oversee onshore and offshore rigs, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometers of pipeline. According to two of Reuters' sources, operations at the complex have continued normally, but some employees have been asked to work from home. A fourth source said certain functions have been moved to Aramco's offices abroad.

The ministry said authorities responded and took "the necessary measures." It did not say who was behind the attack.

Houthis claim it and promise more

On Wednesday the Houthis said they had fired ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at Aramco facilities in Dhahran, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh. They did not say when each strike took place.

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said operations "towards Saudi depths will continue in the coming days, targeting Saudi enemy airports and oil facilities." The group urged international shipping companies, civilians and workers to evacuate airports and oil facilities, which it declared legitimate military targets.

The Houthis call the attacks retaliation for "treacherous Saudi aggression" against Sanaa and other areas. The kingdom backs Yemeni government forces in a major offensive launched about a week and a half ago. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said two people died in attacks in Yemen on Tuesday and blamed the Saudis.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two drones, four cruise missiles and one ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, a ballistic missile aimed at Dhahran, and a cruise missile aimed at Al-Kharj. Saudi Civil Defense said debris from two intercepted cruise missiles over Riyadh injured four people, including a child, and damaged 15 homes.

The coalition also says it is hitting Yemeni fuel infrastructure, including the Sabah central station and facilities in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar, because the Houthis use them for military purposes.

A ceasefire offer with conditions

Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti told the Associated Press the group would discuss a deal, possibly with Oman mediating. His terms, as Breitbart reported them: Saudi forces leave Yemen and Riyadh stops applying economic pressure on the Houthi movement.

"We're ready for a comprehensive end of the war and the blockade from both sides, not just a temporary ceasefire," Bukhaiti said.

Saudi Arabia's cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Oct. 13, took a harder line. It said the Houthis would face consequences for repeated attacks on airports and civilian infrastructure and that the kingdom would not tolerate threats to Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab navigation. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan said in an Oct. 11 joint statement that they would support "all legitimate measures and steps" Riyadh takes in response.

Ahmed Nagi of the International Crisis Group told the AP that both sides are using similar strategies. "The Houthis are betting on pressure, while the Saudis are betting on time," he said.

The airport toll and Washington's position

The Oct. 10 strike on the passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 to 13 people, depending on the account, including an American citizen according to the Daily Wire. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation put the toll from airport attacks between Oct. 6 and Oct. 11 at at least 20 dead and 356 injured.

Asked on Sunday whether the U.S. would join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, Trump said: "We may. We're gonna look at it." In a Truth Social post Tuesday he said the Houthis had "emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran," and that he "will never forget" the latest attacks. Bukhaiti warned that U.S. involvement would bring a "swift and painful response" against American interests in the region.

No decision on U.S. participation has been announced. The Houthis' stated plan is further strikes on Saudi airports and oil facilities in the coming days. Aramco, for its part, has not commented on how much of its headquarters is out of service.