By Federico Maccioni, Timour Azhari and Eman Abouhassira
RIYADH, July 25 – Houthi militants from Yemen, backed by Iran, attacked Saudi oil facilities at two ports along the Red Sea on Saturday. In response, Saudi-supported forces launched airstrikes on Houthi positions, marking an escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Gulf that is impacting global oil supplies.
A spokesperson for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, confirmed that they successfully hit Saudi Aramco sites in Jizan and Yanbu.
Videos circulating on social media, which have been verified by Reuters, show significant smoke coming from the Aramco refinery in Jizan.
Sources from Asia-based trading companies mentioned potential damage to fuel and oil storage facilities in Jizan. However, Aramco did not respond to inquiries about the incidents.
In Yanbu, a U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system, operated by the Greek military under an agreement with Saudi Arabia, intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at oil sites.
Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's primary oil port on the Red Sea, handling millions of barrels daily and serving as a crucial export route for Saudi oil, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane, has been blocked by Iran. Jizan, located near the Yemeni border, hosts a refinery capable of processing 400,000 barrels per day.
Meanwhile, the air force of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and has been fighting the Houthis for over a decade, conducted airstrikes targeting Houthi missile launch sites and arms depots in the Marib and al-Jawf provinces.
Earlier, the Saudi-led military coalition announced that it bombed Houthi military positions on Friday in the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah.
Yemeni officials reported that both sides in the civil war are mobilizing their forces along the front lines.
SAUDI-LED COALITION STRIKES HODEIDAH
For more than a decade, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition fighting against the Houthis after they seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and large areas in the north and west, including along the Red Sea.
The Yemeni civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives due to conflict and famine. A ceasefire that was in place since 2022 has now collapsed, with the Houthis taking a more active role in the broader war involving their Iranian allies, following attacks from the U.S. and Israel.
Recently, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi stated that all Saudi oil facilities would be targeted if Riyadh escalates its engagement in the conflict.
This situation poses a risk to global oil supplies, particularly in the context of the ongoing Iran conflict. Recent developments have led to a significant increase in global oil prices, with Brent crude exceeding $100 per barrel for the first time since May.
‘MILITARY PUNISHMENT’
U.S. President Donald Trump recently warned of "major military punishment" for Iran and the Houthis following the Houthis' claims of attacking two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday.
The Saudi-led coalition stated that it would persist in taking necessary actions to protect its vessels and interests in Saudi Arabia, and would respond "uncompromisingly" to any continuing hostile actions from the Houthis.
Yemen's Houthi-run foreign ministry indicated that the strikes on Hodeidah symbolized the beginning of a phase of “escalation for escalation,” holding Saudi Arabia accountable for any subsequent outcomes.
Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that the Saudi strikes affected facilities belonging to Yemen's state telecommunications company in Hodeidah, adding that Saudi forces also targeted Kamaran Island, located off Yemen's western coast.
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, remarked on social media that the kingdom would continue facilitating ship entries to Hodeidah Port, despite the Houthi attacks on maritime activities in the Red Sea.
The functionality of Hodeidah port has been a significant concern within the international community throughout the decade-long Yemen war, particularly due to previous Saudi blockades that worsened hunger and suffering in the region.