Ballistic missile hits Saudi Aramco building, US envoy at center of corruption scandal – daily digest

Attack on Saudi Aramco building

The administrative building of the Saudi oil company Saudi Aramco, located in the city of Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia, came under attack. The Saudi Ministry of Energy issued a statement to this effect on October 14.

According to the ministry, the incident occurred on the evening of October 13; the attack caused a limited fire, and there were no deaths or injuries. Citing a company source, Reuters reported that a ballistic missile had hit the Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran. The top three floors of the building were damaged.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that debris from the missile shot down over Dhahran had fallen onto a residential area. In Riyadh as well, after two Houthi missiles were intercepted, four people were injured by falling debris.

For a week now, the Houthis have been launching ballistic missiles and drones at key Saudi Arabian facilities. The Houthis had threatened to deliver a 'harsh and painful' response to the coalition's strikes on Sanaa.

Saudi forces, for their part, said they had struck a fuel depot on the outskirts of Sanaa and other facilities in order to 'neutralize the Houthi threat capabilities.'

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

Scandal surrounding the US ambassador

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

US President Donald Trump had said a day earlier that he was considering dismissing Guilfoyle. 'She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we read,' Trump told journalists. The White House's new press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, also confirmed that Guilfoyle had been asked to resign.

Guilfoyle herself again denied the accusations: 'These accusations are false, and I intend to firmly defend my name, my reputation and my integrity,' she wrote.