Houthi attacks put Saudi oil infrastructure and Red Sea exports at risk
The Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and threatened Saudi oil facilities and shipping, including an attack on the headquarters of state-owned Aramco in Dhahran. NPR reports that the group says it is targeting Saudi-linked shipping, while Saudi Arabia has intercepted missiles and drones; the escalation has also disrupted flights and heightened concern about oil supplies.
Bottom line — Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline carries 4–5 million barrels a day, according to Matzav, and a prolonged outage could further constrain exports.
Go deeper 6
-
NPR says traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb fell from 35 daily transits to 25 after the Houthi advance, then recovered to 45.
-
Matzav reports that the 1,200-kilometre East-West Pipeline was struck by drones launched from Iraq and forced offline.
-
The pipeline carries about 4–5 million barrels a day, equivalent to 4–5% of global oil supply, according to Matzav.
-
Matzav says Brent crude rose above €100 a barrel ($108) after the pipeline attack.
-
DW reports that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defence pact in August; Turkey and Pakistan have offered intelligence and defence support but ruled out sending troops to Yemen.
-
NPR says the Houthi advance has displaced an estimated 125,000 people, while the UN humanitarian office says only 20% of its Yemen appeal is funded.