New Delhi: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed responsibility for launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil
facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jazan, significantly widening regional tensions linked to the ongoing Iran conflict.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks targeted facilities operated by state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco. The Yanbu terminal is particularly significant as it serves as the outlet for a major pipeline that allows Saudi Arabia to export oil while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes are the first claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities by the Houthis in several years and come days after the group announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi retaliates as fears grow over oil supplies
Following the reported attacks, Saudi-led coalition forces carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, saying they targeted Houthi military infrastructure. The latest escalation has raised concerns over the security of two of the world’s most important maritime oil routes, the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb.
These renewed attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure could add further pressure on global oil markets, which have already been rattled by disruptions to shipping and fears of wider conflict across the Middle East. Oil prices have surged in recent days as investors assess the risks to global energy supplies.
The Houthis have increasingly linked their military actions to the broader regional confrontation involving Iran, while Saudi Arabia has vowed to respond to any threats against its territory and energy infrastructure.
