Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has intercepted 6 ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis as concerns over possible supply disruptions pushed oil prices to high.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen stated that the missiles were directed towards Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea. The Houthis noted that the attacks targeted a sensitive site in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Oil prices rose by about 3 percent as the attacks increased concerns over Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain oil exports through the Red Sea. Prices later moved below session highs after reports that the United States and Iran had discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks come as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted and Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline has only started resuming operations following drone strikes earlier in September. Yanbu is a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea.
It was not immediately clear whether the missile attacks caused damage or casualties in Taif or Yanbu. The developments have added pressure to Saudi Arabia’s export routes after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July. The move has opened a second front in the wider US-Iran conflict.
Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer, Vice-President of Presidential Leadership Council of the Republic of Yemen, stated that, “The Houthi militia’s use of the safety of navigation as a tool for blackmail threatens not only Yemen. It is taking hostage the entire global economy.”
The Houthis also seized Yemen’s western coast in an offensive. The advance brought Houthi forces close to the Bab el-Mandeb waterway at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government calls for international support against the Houthis. The government warns that the group’s position near one of the world’s busiest waterways poses a wider economic risk.
Separately, Saudi-backed government forces repelled overnight Houthi attacks on a major supply route leading to Taiz from Aden. Houthi forces have maintained pressure around the Hejat al-Abd mountain pass. The route is a vital link for government forces and for goods and residents travelling to and from Taiz.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry emphasised that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan would hold an urgent meeting of military chiefs. The meeting will discuss ways to support efforts to repel Houthi attacks under a joint defence agreement.
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