A ballistic missile hit the Saudi Aramco building, the US Ambassador is at the center of a corruption scandal – daily digest

Ballistic missile hits Saudi Aramco building, US ambassador at center of corruption scandal — daily digest

The Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia announced on October 14 that an administrative building of the Saudi Aramco oil company located in the eastern Saudi city of Dhahran had come under attack.

According to the ministry's statement, the incident occurred on the evening of October 13, resulting in a limited fire with no fatalities or injuries. Reuters, citing a source within the company, wrote that a ballistic missile fell on the Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran. The top three floors of the building were damaged.

The Saudi-led coalition stated that fragments of the missile intercepted in Dhahran fell in a residential area. In Riyadh as well, four people were injured after two Houthi missiles were shot down and their debris fell.

The Houthis have been launching ballistic missiles and drones at critical Saudi Arabian facilities for a week. The Houthis had threatened a "harsh and painful" response to coalition strikes on Sanaa.

Saudi forces, meanwhile, announced that they had struck a fuel depot and other facilities on the outskirts of Sanaa to "neutralize the Houthi threat capabilities."

After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in February, Bab al-Mandab became an even more critical route for Saudi Arabia. The conflict in Yemen flared up again as a continuation of a broader war that began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Saudi Arabia, supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government, resumed its military campaign against the Houthis last month.

The scandal surrounding the US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is ending with her departure from office. The White House announced on October 13 that it had asked Guilfoyle to resign. This was prompted by a series of reports that the ambassador sold access to Trump administration officials in exchange for money, gifts, and various services.

US President Donald Trump said the day before that he was considering firing Guilfoyle. "She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we read," Trump told reporters. The new White House Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia, also confirmed that Guilfoyle's resignation had been requested.

Guilfoyle herself again denied the allegations: "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, reputation, and integrity," she wrote.