Houthis seize Red Sea island, Saudi pipeline shut as oil routes tighten

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis seized the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while a drone attack from Iraq shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, per Yemeni and Saudi sources. The moves threaten two major global oil chokepoints, raising supply fears as the Middle East war widens.

Bottom line — Brent crude traded at about €97 ($105) per barrel as two key oil routes came under threat.

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• The Houthis also captured the Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab and the Hanish islands, according to two Yemeni government sources.
• Saudi Arabia's 1,200 km East-West pipeline, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, was shipping 636,000–795,000 cubic metres (4–5 million barrels) per day, per ship tracking firms and analysts.
• Saudi crude supply fell to its lowest in over three decades, the International Energy Agency said, partly due to Houthi-linked attacks on ships in the Bab el-Mandeb.
• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump at least twice to request military help, two sources told Reuters, but Washington declined direct action, offering intelligence sharing instead.
• Iran directed the Houthis to escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia and promised more funding and weapons, two Iranian sources told Reuters; Iran publicly denies giving military direction.
• The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran six months ago, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil and LNG trade.
• At least 22 sailors have been killed in the Middle East since the war began, The New York Times reported.
• Iraq dismissed a military commander after the pipeline attack, which both Baghdad and Riyadh said originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate.

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