The Yemen-based group said Saturday’s coordinated operation targeted Saudi Aramco installations in Jizan, close to the Yemeni border, and Yanbu, the kingdom’s principal Red Sea oil-export centre. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, were used in the attacks.
A large column of smoke was seen rising from the direction of the Jizan refinery, while energy traders were informed of possible damage to fuel and oil storage facilities. Saudi authorities and Aramco had not issued a detailed assessment of damage or disruption. The Jizan complex can process about 400,000 barrels of crude a day, making any prolonged outage significant for domestic fuel supplies and exports.
Two ballistic missiles aimed at oil installations in Yanbu were intercepted by a Patriot air-defence battery operated by Greek military personnel under an agreement with Riyadh. Yanbu has gained strategic importance because crude can be moved from eastern production fields through the East-West pipeline, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been sharply curtailed by the confrontation with Iran.
No US air strikes were reported in Iran overnight into Saturday, the first such lull in two weeks. Washington offered no immediate public explanation, although the US military said its naval blockade of Iranian ports remained fully in force. The pause followed a White House security meeting at which President Donald Trump considered whether to continue the daily attacks or expand them.
Trump had approved strike packages on each of the previous 13 days but withheld authorisation for Friday night’s operation. His administration has continued to threaten heavier military action while also signalling that negotiations remain the preferred route. Concerns within Washington include dwindling stocks of specialised munitions, the danger of drawing Gulf allies deeper into the war and the effect of further disruption on energy prices and the global economy.
An Omani delegation arrived in Tehran before the pause for discussions centred on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Mediators are exploring an arrangement under which Iran would oversee vessel movements through the waterway with fewer restrictions, but the terms remain disputed. The US blockade and Iran’s pressure on commercial shipping continue despite the suspension of air strikes.
The Houthi attacks complicate those efforts by placing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait under greater threat. The narrow passage links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and carries about 12 per cent of global trade and roughly a quarter of container traffic. The group has declared a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping and threatened further strikes on oil infrastructure if Riyadh intensifies military operations in Yemen.
The escalation followed Houthi claims that two Saudi oil tankers were attacked in the Red Sea on Thursday. Saudi-led forces then struck Houthi positions in Hodeidah province, saying the targets were connected to threats against commercial vessels. Houthi authorities said telecommunications facilities and areas near the port were hit and that two people were injured, while the coalition denied attacking the port itself.
Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government also carried out strikes on Houthi missile and drone launch sites and weapons depots in Marib and al-Jawf. Military units on both sides were reported to be moving towards front lines, raising fears that a nationwide conflict paused by a 2022 truce could resume at greater intensity.
Oil markets have reacted sharply to the possibility that both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could become unsafe at the same time. Brent crude moved above $100 a barrel during the week, its first rise beyond that level since May, as traders reassessed the ability of producers and shipping companies to reroute supplies.
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