Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that Washington could carry out further strikes on Iran.
‘This should have been done a long time ago by other presidents, the Iran war, and we’ve knocked the hell out of them, and we may do it a little bit further,’ Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for a campaign rally in Iowa.
Asked about public reaction to the war, he said: ‘Well, in one way they love it because I’m doing what should have been done by other presidents. In another way, maybe they don’t.’
The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two drones launched towards Saudi Arabia’s southern region.
It did not immediately say who launched the drones, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards Najran, in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki announced the interception in a post on X. No casualties or damage were immediately reported.
Earlier on Thursday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had carried out four missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia over the previous 48 hours, including facilities in Riyadh, Dammam, Yanbu and Abha.
Saudi Civil Defense issued an early warning for a potential hostile threat in the Najran region, state media reported.
Saudi state oil giant Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
The decision follows a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities and airports. The headquarters sustained extensive damage in an attack earlier this month.
The reason for the evacuation remains unclear, and Aramco has not commented.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 2.5 per cent on Thursday following news of the evacuation, according to LSEG data.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they had attacked Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry in Riyadh, Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
Saudi authorities said two people were killed at the Dammam airport.
There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of attacks in Riyadh or Yanbu, and the Houthi claims could not be independently verified.
Yemen's Houthis said on Thursday that they were attempting to rescue a boat carrying 14 Indians near Zuqar island in the Red Sea.
The Saudi-led coalition announced Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the Riyadh region.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in a brief statement on X that the drone had been intercepted and destroyed, without providing further details on its origin or intended target.
The incident came amid escalating hostilities between Yemen’s Houthi group and the Saudi-led coalition, including attacks targeting Saudi airports and energy facilities.
The Greek finance ministry said on Thursday it was implementing sanctions in place linked to Iran and that it backed efforts to effectively combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
The statement comes after the U.S. Treasury Department said that the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an administrative subpoena to advance an investigation into a Greek bank, which it did not name.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have confirmed the death of two people following an attack on the country's King Fahd International Airport on Wednesday evening.
The deceased are a Saudi citizen and an Indian national, with injuries sustained in the attack ranging from minor to serious according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation.
There has been no mention of those behind the attacks but Iran-backed Houthis have in recent weeks repeatedly targeted airports and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Oil prices rose more than 2 per cent on Thursday after a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field heightened concerns over further disruptions to energy supplies.
International benchmark Brent crude traded at $111.40 per barrel, up 2.4 per cent, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 2.22 per cent to $99.30 per barrel.
The attack, which killed two people, renewed concerns about the security of energy infrastructure in the Middle East, helping oil prices recover from earlier losses.
The Persian Gulf Waterway Management Authority said that several countries are negotiating with Iran to remove their vessels from its blacklist or avoid being added.
According to WANA, Tehran is seeking commitments to comply with its requirements before issuing transit permits.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Thursday that four vessels involved in illegal oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf were simultaneously hit and caught fire after being tracked by its forces on Wednesday.
The IRGC added that three more vessels collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, and warned the U.S. military that continued provocations could lead to a wider response against its regional bases.
The U.S. State Department has ordered some diplomats and family members to depart from its missions in Saudi Arabia and plans to withdraw family members from a number of other U.S. missions in the region.
The order came as attacks in Saudi Arabia killed at least one person and injured eight others at a civilian airport in Dammam, and two people were killed in a drone attack on an oil field.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X that the department ordered the departure of “non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that if the U.S. chooses military action over diplomacy again, it will face an even greater strategic failure. He stressed that Iran is prepared to give diplomacy another chance if Washington demonstrates a sincere commitment to a just and lasting solution to end the conflict.
Araghchi also warned that repeating what he described as President Donald Trump’s mistaken assumptions about Iran would lead to an even more painful outcome.
An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening killed one resident and injured eight others, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said.
The statement said material damage was being assessed.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. had defeated Iran militarily and financially, adding that Tehran would “never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also said the U.S. has a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which he called the “Trump Strait.”
“We changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Why can't we change the name of the Hormuz Strait?” he added.
Citing U.S. officials and other people briefed on the deliberations, The New York Times reported that the two militaries have stepped up exercises, including flights over Iraq to practice strike maneuvers.
Potential targets could include Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenal, and energy infrastructure, according to the report.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible new strikes, the newspaper reported.
Plans to target Iran’s nuclear program could include a strike on Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried site, according to the Times.
The report said it is far from certain that Trump will approve the strikes, noting that he has repeatedly vetoed plans to return to major combat this year.
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