Houthis Say They Struck Saudi Aramco Oil Sites
Yemen’s Houthis said they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday, opening a new front against the kingdom in the widening Gulf war. Civil-defence sirens sounded in both provinces and smoke was reported over the Jizan refinery, though Saudi authorities gave an all-clear and Aramco did not confirm any damage. The Iran-aligned group has attacked Saudi and Red Sea shipping for weeks.
The claim, made by the Houthi military spokesman, could not be independently confirmed, and no casualties were reported. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil-export terminal, and any sustained threat to it would alarm energy markets already jittery over the Strait of Hormuz. With oil markets closed for the weekend, the price impact will not register until trading resumes; Brent had ended Friday near $96 after briefly topping $100. The Houthis have pressed a campaign of missile and drone strikes and shipping disruption in solidarity with Iran. Watch for a Saudi response and the market’s reaction on Monday.