Saudi-led coalition strikes Houthi oil depots in Yemen; Aramco headquarters hit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia says the fire was limited
On Tuesday 13 October the Saudi-led coalition struck oil and fuel sites in Yemen, including near the capital Sanaa; Business Recorder, the BBC, the Guardian and the Straits Times described the strikes, and the coalition had first told civilians to leave the Yemen Oil Company’s Sabah central station. The Houthis promised a “painful response” (ABC) and warned of attacks on Riyadh and Dammam (BBC). Late on Tuesday, six sources told Reuters that loud booms were heard near Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, and Bloomberg reported that a Houthi missile struck the complex and set part of it on fire. Saudi Arabia called the fire limited and, via state media, said nobody was hurt there; debris from intercepted missiles wounded four people in Riyadh. The coalition said it destroyed four cruise missiles and three drones. Brent settled at $105.69 and WTI at $94.14 (FinancialJuice).
Aramco’s headquarters runs much of the kingdom’s oil operations, and the attack widens a war that has already shut Riyadh’s airport and, according to Business Recorder, killed 18 people in attacks there. Washington is also drawn in: Mr Trump said he is deciding what to do, and CBS read his remarks as a sign that action may wait until after the US midterm elections.
Pakistan buys much of its fuel abroad, so oil above $100 reaches the pump, although the government still trimmed petrol by Rs2.71 to Rs392.66 a litre for 14 October (Business Recorder). Families with relatives in the kingdom should expect disrupted flights into Riyadh until at least Saturday and should follow airline and embassy notices.
Riyadh and its allies say the strikes hit the depots that feed the Houthis’ drones and missiles, which the coalition says threaten the kingdom, its ports and Red Sea shipping (FinancialJuice).
Analysts quoted by CNA warn that the line between supporting Saudi forces and fighting alongside them may get harder to hold for countries such as Pakistan, and the Financial Times says defence pacts and financial reliance on Riyadh leave Islamabad little leeway.
The test to watch is not the next missile but the first request that goes beyond words. In the reports DailyDrop saw, Pakistan has announced no military step. Three things matter this week: a Houthi strike on Dammam or an Aramco plant, any move by Washington after Mr Trump’s remarks, and what Oman’s foreign minister, now in Islamabad, says about Yemen.
DailyDrop Pakistan edition No. 10 · Morning · WED., OCT. 14, 2026