Saudi warplanes carried out airstrikes in Yemen while Houthi fighters launched drones and missiles at Saudi cities, as reported by the Iran-backed group on Wednesday. This escalation has expanded Iran’s influence in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In response to the deteriorating situation, the United States heightened its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, prohibiting government employees from traveling within a 32-kilometer radius of the Yemeni border.
The Houthis, who have swiftly advanced through Yemeni towns along the Red Sea coast and captured islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, released footage showing their fighters seizing armored vehicles from Saudi-supported forces. The video also captured warplanes flying overhead and massive explosions in desert locations.
Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, stated that the group launched new drone and missile attacks on the major Saudi Red Sea oil port of Yanbu and a southern Saudi airbase at Khamis Mushait. Specific timing of these strikes was not disclosed.
Saudi Arabia had issued alerts for several locations, including the aforementioned cities, on Tuesday, but no further alerts were announced on Wednesday. Requests for comments from Saudi officials and oil company Aramco went unanswered.
Saree claimed that the Saudis conducted approximately 450 airstrikes in Yemen during the week. While officials from the Saudi-backed government in southern Yemen acknowledged joint airstrikes with Saudi forces on Houthi positions, Riyadh itself did not confirm these actions.
The conflict has also seen the Houthis launching attacks into Saudi territory, causing concerns in southern and western cities. An attack in Iraq last week, attributed to Iran-aligned fighters, damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, a crucial route for redirecting oil exports from the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Amid escalating tensions, U.S. officials reportedly met with the Houthis in Oman over the weekend. The Houthis reassured the U.S. of their commitment to a ceasefire agreed upon last year and stated they had no intentions of targeting American vessels.
The extension of the conflict into Yemen poses a threat to the global energy supply, exacerbating the shortage caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The price of Brent crude oil remained near $108 per barrel, with the average retail price of diesel fuel in the U.S. surpassing $6.30 per gallon.
Traders warn that a prolonged closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could disrupt up to four percent of global oil supply. While Saudi Arabia has not provided an exact timeline for resuming pipeline operations, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright expressed optimism that oil flow would resume within days.
The conflict, which began in 2015, has reignited following recent hostilities between the Houthis and forces aligned with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought military assistance from U.S. President Donald Trump, predominantly in the form of intelligence support.
Trump, facing a dilemma on how to address the escalating crisis, must decide whether to risk further exacerbating the global energy crisis by allowing the Houthi advance to continue or to provide direct military aid to the Saudis, potentially expanding U.S. involvement in the conflict.
This development adds complexity to an already volatile situation, with implications for regional stability and global energy markets.
