Houthis Claim Dammam, Riyadh and Yanbu Strikes as Reported Airport Toll Differs and Aramco HQ Staff Are Told to Evacuate

Since Houthi strikes closed Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 10, attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure have come almost daily. The latest, on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, has produced a claim of responsibility, a disputed casualty figure and an escalation in how Saudi Arabia's biggest company is protecting its people.

Houthis claim three targets

The Houthis said Thursday they had launched attacks on Saudi Arabia's defense ministry in Riyadh, Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities have not confirmed hits on the defense ministry or Yanbu.

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said eight people were injured in Dammam and that the airport sustained material damage. The flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said flights were diverted away from the airport.

The death toll is not settled. Reports of the aviation authority's announcement put it at one dead in some accounts and two in others. No group had been confirmed as responsible for the Dammam strike before the Houthi claim.

Separately, the Saudi energy ministry said falling debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two more at an Aramco-operated oil field in the southeast.

Aramco pulls essential staff at headquarters

Essential workers at Aramco's headquarters in the east of the country were told to evacuate Thursday, two sources told Agence France-Presse. Their non-essential colleagues had already been told to work from home since last week. Aramco has not publicly commented in the material gathered here.

The Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis fired five drones toward the kingdom early Wednesday. It said all five were intercepted over the holy city of Madinah and the Eastern Region.

Washington's departure order, and a dispute over its scope

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the State Department ordered non-emergency staff and family members out of its embassy in Riyadh and satellite consulates. Spokesman Tommy Pigott said "the safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority."

How far the drawdown reaches is contested. Pigott called reports of further withdrawals across the Gulf "inaccurate" and said the order covered "Saudi Arabia only." Four U.S. officials told Reuters that U.S. missions in other Gulf states would also order family members to leave. NBC and AFP reported that families were being withdrawn from the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

The department's own travel alert says embassies in other Gulf countries will see temporary staffing changes. Those missions are already under "restricted operations" that cap personnel.

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is developing plans to restart the war on Iran, which began with the U.S.-Israeli campaign in late February. The Guardian linked those concerns to the period after the U.S. midterm elections. The administration has not publicly confirmed any such plan.

Why the Houthis say they are striking airports

The Houthis have acknowledged attacking Riyadh's airport. They claim, without evidence according to the Associated Press, that Saudi Arabia supplied military equipment to Yemeni government forces through the facility. Saudi Arabia backs those forces in Yemen's reignited civil war, and fighting with the Houthis resurged in mid-July.

Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies argued the aviation focus is tied to Washington's restrictions on Iran's aviation sector and sanctions on its airlines. He said "cross-domain escalation by Iran and its proxies will continue to be a primary strategy." That is his assessment, not an established finding.

The Riyadh backdrop

The Oct. 10 strike on King Khalid airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to reports at the time. An American was among the dead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. The Saudi civil aviation authority said it had counted at least 20 killed and 356 injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports since the preceding Tuesday.

After that strike, President Donald Trump said of joining Saudi operations against the Houthis: "We may. We're gonna look at it. We move very quickly." No U.S. entry into that campaign has been announced.

Riyadh's airport reopened in limited fashion Wednesday. Saudia and FlyNas operated flights after aviation authorities told airlines on Monday they could resume with prior permission. Lufthansa and Air France have canceled Riyadh flights through mid-November.

Whether other Gulf missions follow Riyadh with formal departure orders is the next question. The State Department says no. Four officials told Reuters yes.