Middle East Update: Aramco Building Damaged, Israel Names New Prime Minister Candidate

Saudi Arabia intercepted four missiles on Sunday morning, with debris from the interceptions causing minor damage to an Aramco building in Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition stated that its air defenses shot down two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles aimed at the capital and other regions. The ministry attributed the ballistic missiles to the Yemeni Houthi rebels. Debris, described as shrapnel, hit the Aramco structure in the King Abdullah Financial District. Witnesses on the ground reported a loud explosion and visible damage to several floors, including broken exterior glass. The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed no casualties were reported from the incident.

This attack follows a series of Houthi strikes on Saudi territory. On Saturday, Saudi forces conducted airstrikes near Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital in Yemen. Houthi officials said those bombings killed at least 27 people. The coalition also reported intercepting a separate ballistic missile targeted at the southern region of Saudi Arabia late Sunday night.

Maritime risks in the region increased over the weekend. The United Arab Emirates announced it rescued 22 crew members from a cargo ship that caught fire in the Arabian Sea. All crew members were of Arab nationality and were stable after receiving first aid. The UAE National Guard did not identify the vessel or the cause of the fire. Separately, the British Maritime Trade Operations office reported a tanker fire about eight nautical miles northwest of Jisr, Oman. It was unclear if this was the same ship as the one the UAE rescued. On Saturday, U.S. forces disabled a cargo ship flying the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. said the ship tried to break a naval blockade on Iran. The Iranian army also reported that two tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

In Israel, President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government. Eisenkot is Benjamin Netanyahu’s main political rival and a former military chief of staff. Herzog made the decision late Saturday after consulting with parties elected to the Knesset on October 27. This move is a setback for Netanyahu, who lost his parliamentary majority in the election. The vote did not produce a clear winner with a majority.

Eisenkot will now begin negotiations with potential coalition partners. He has six weeks to form a government. This is a complex process in a country deeply divided by the war in Gaza and the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Eisenkot’s success is not guaranteed by the presidential mandate.

The Saudi Center for International Communication and Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the building damage. The UAE National Guard and the British Maritime Trade Operations office also did not provide further details on the specific vessels involved in the maritime incidents.