Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Monday it had targeted sensitive crude oil supply and transport facilities linking eastern Saudi Arabia with the kingdom’s key Red Sea export hub at Yanbu.
Saudi state oil giant Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate confirmation of damage or disruption to oil flows.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the operation was launched in response to what he described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace. He did not provide details about the weapons used or the specific sites targeted.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its east-west pipeline to transport crude from oil-producing areas in the east to Yanbu, allowing exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian attacks on shipping in the waterway.
The attacks in the strait began after the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February, raising concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Last week, the Iran-aligned Houthis threatened to widen the disruption to global oil supplies by announcing what they described as a blockade of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry in the Red Sea. The warning contributed to further increases in global oil prices.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes on alleged Houthi military facilities around Yemen’s Hodeidah port, saying the operations were intended to protect maritime traffic and safeguard regional shipping routes.
The latest Houthi claim underscores the growing risk to Saudi energy infrastructure as the regional conflict increasingly spreads across the Red Sea and the Gulf.
