Saudi Arabia: Houthi attacks halt energy facilities

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy stated that Houthi attacks on energy facilities in the southern region of the kingdom caused fires and a temporary halt to some operational activities. Meanwhile, the Houthi group claimed it targeted sites belonging to the giant oil company Saudi Aramco in the country’s southern areas using drones and ballistic missiles, in what a military spokesperson for the group described as a “wide-scale distinctive operation.” The Ministry of Energy clarified that fires broke out at the sites and that several people were injured in the Houthi attacks, with firefighting and emergency teams rushing to extinguish the flames and assess the damage.

Earlier, the Yemeni Legitimacy Alliance said in a statement that the Houthis had attacked the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran in the south, near the border with Yemen, and that among the casualties were women and children. The Houthi group stated that it targeted Aramco facilities in the cities of Abha, Najran, and Jizan, as well as the Khamis Mushait Air Base, all located in southern Saudi Arabia.

Following the Ministry of Energy’s statement, futures contracts for the benchmark Brent crude rose by $1 to $98 per barrel, while U.S. crude futures climbed by more than $2 to $93.65 per barrel. The British newspaper Financial Times reported that Aramco’s Jizan oil facilities were hit in a new attack and that damage assessments are underway; Aramco has not issued any comment.

The Strait of Hormuz represents a vital chokepoint through which approximately 20% of global oil supplies pass. Houthi forces, allied with Iran, have previously targeted Saudi Aramco facilities, most notably the 2019 drone attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais, which temporarily disrupted a large portion of Saudi production. Any confirmed strike on a refinery of similar scale would constitute a serious escalation in the current cycle of conflict.