Saudi Arabia vowed a forceful response Tuesday after Iranian-backed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at energy and military targets across the kingdom’s south, wounding 73 people and sending Brent crude to within $1 of $100 a barrel.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Saudi Arabia threatened retaliation Tuesday after a large-scale missile and drone barrage by Iranian-backed Houthi forces struck energy facilities and other targets across the kingdom’s southern region, injuring 73 people and adding new pressure to global oil markets already strained by the war with Iran.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki characterized the attacks as a “serious escalation” and said the coalition “will take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia with utmost resolve,” according to an Associated Press report.
Fires broke out at several oil facilities and utilities following the attacks, prompting operators to temporarily suspend activity while crews responded, the Saudi Energy Ministry said. The affected southern region includes the Jazan refinery on the Red Sea coast, which is capable of processing approximately 400,000 barrels of oil per day.
Authorities said 73 people were wounded, including women and children.
The attacks quickly reverberated through energy markets. Brent crude rose 2.2% to $99.16 per barrel by 4:20 a.m. ET Tuesday, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed 3.3% to $94.46.
The latest increase compounds the pressure already facing American motorists. The national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.15 per gallon Tuesday, compared with $3.20 a year earlier, while diesel reached a record $5.90 Monday, according to AAA.
The attacks come as two of the Middle East’s most important maritime energy routes are increasingly caught up in the regional conflict.
Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that handled approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies before the war began Feb. 28, according to reports. With Hormuz traffic severely disrupted, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea export infrastructure has assumed greater importance.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have launched an offensive toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, further threatening a route that has become increasingly important for moving Saudi energy exports while Hormuz remains constrained, according to CBS News.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group used dozens of ballistic missiles and drones in Tuesday’s operation, targeting oil and economic infrastructure as well as military facilities.
Among the locations the Houthis said they attacked were Saudi Aramco facilities in Najran and Abha and King Khalid Air Base. Saree said the strikes were carried out in response to Saudi military operations inside Yemen.
The Houthis have been striking Saudi targets since announcing a naval blockade of the kingdom in July, according to Reuters.
Saudi energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted during that campaign.
The Houthis have claimed multiple attacks against Aramco’s Jazan refinery since late July and have also targeted Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s principal oil-export gateway on its western coast, according to Al Jazeera.
Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said in early August that earlier attacks had temporarily interrupted some production but had not produced a material financial or operational impact. He said at the time that the company expected affected operations to return quickly.
Tuesday’s barrage presents a broader challenge because the attacks come while the Strait of Hormuz blockade has reduced the flexibility of regional exporters and elevated the importance of Saudi facilities along the Red Sea.
The combination of disrupted shipping, threats to Saudi infrastructure and continuing regional military operations has pushed crude prices steadily higher, with Brent approaching the psychologically significant $100-per-barrel level Tuesday.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he expects those pressures to reverse if the United States prevails in its conflict with Iran.
Oil prices “will drop precipitously” when the U.S. wins the war with Iran, Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to CNBC.
For now, however, the Houthi attacks have opened another front against regional oil infrastructure just as Saudi Arabia’s western export routes have become increasingly important, leaving Riyadh warning of further military action and global markets confronting renewed uncertainty over energy supplies.
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