Foreign Affairs

Saudi Arabia Vows Retaliation After Iran-Backed Houthis Attack Oil Facilities

Prince Khaled al-Faisal al-Saud, the governor of Mecca, at the airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. (Screen Capture/CSPAN)

Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck oil facilities across southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding 73 people and pushing crude toward $100 a barrel.

The attacks ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in the kingdom’s southern region, and operators temporarily suspended work at the sites, the Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The region includes a 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Jazan on the Red Sea coast, and the strikes wounded 73 people, including women and children, the AP reported.

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki called the attacks a “serious escalation” and said the coalition “will take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia with utmost resolve,” the AP reported.

Brent crude climbed 2.2% to $99.16 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate rose 3.3% to $94.46 by 4:20 a.m. ET Tuesday, according to CNBC. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.15 on Tuesday, up from $3.20 a year ago, and diesel set a record $5.90 on Monday, according to AAA.

Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of the world’s oil before the war began Feb. 28, according to Quartz. The Red Sea has become vital to Saudi oil exports during the blockade, and the Houthis have launched an offensive toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait at its southern entrance, according to CBS News. 

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at oil and economic facilities in response to Saudi strikes across Yemen, including Aramco sites in Najran and Abha and King Khalid Air Base, according to the AP. The Houthis have attacked Saudi targets since declaring a naval blockade against the kingdom in July, Reuters reported.

The Houthis have claimed repeated strikes on Aramco’s Jazan refinery since late July and have also targeted Yanbu, the kingdom’s principal west coast export gateway, according to Al Jazeera. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said in early August that the attacks caused some production interruptions but no material operational or financial impact and that he expected operations to be restored quickly, the outlet reported.

President Donald Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social that oil prices “will drop precipitously” when the U.S. wins the war with Iran, according to CNBC.