Houthis Claim Attack on Aramco as Yemen Conflict Escalates

Houthis Claim Attack on Aramco as Yemen Conflict Escalates The announcement plunges the Middle East deeper into war, as the Iran‑allied Houthis have scored a series of triumphs in Yemen on the battlefield since the conflict was reignited. On Tuesday, the rebel group released footage purporting to show a missile strike on Saudi Aramco’s offshore processing facility near Khurais, a strategic hub that supplies a significant share of the kingdom’s oil output. The claim, unverified by independent observers, follows weeks of intensified drone and missile assaults that have already forced Saudi Arabia to suspend flights in the Red Sea corridor and to reroute several tanker routes..

Saudi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed the Houthi video as “fabricated” but confirmed that their monitoring systems had detected an anomalous trajectory aimed at the Khurais complex. A senior commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, responsible for protecting oil infrastructure, warned that any successful strike would “have catastrophic implications for the global energy market.” Analysts at the International Energy Agency warned that even a brief interruption could push crude prices above $100 a barrel, given the market’s already fragile state. The Houthis, who seized control of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and have been fighting a Saudi‑backed coalition since 2015, say the attack is retaliation for what they call “aggressive Israeli strikes on Gaza.” Their spokesman, Abdullah al‑Mousa, told Al‑Jazeera that the missiles were launched from Houthi‑controlled territory in the Red Sea and that the operation demonstrated the group’s “growing capability to strike strategic targets far beyond Yemen’s borders.” He added that the strike was part of a broader campaign to “force the coalition to cease its war on the Yemeni people.” International reactions have been swift..

The United Nations ary‑General António Guterres issued a statement urging restraint, emphasizing that attacks on civilian infrastructure “undermine any prospect of a negotiated settlement.” The United States Department of State condemned the alleged attack, calling it “another dangerous escalation” and pledging “continuous support to Saudi Arabia’s right to defend its sovereign interests.” Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry hailed the Houthis’ actions as “legitimate resistance,” a phrase that has drawn criticism from Washington and Riyadh alike. On the ground in Yemen, the conflict’s human toll continues to climb. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 24 million people now require assistance, with food insecurity reaching “catastrophic” levels in several governorates..

Hospitals in the northern city of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, reported a surge in casualties after a coalition airstrike on a market last week, underscoring the cycle of retaliation that fuels the war. Humanitarian NGOs warn that any further disruption to oil revenues could diminish the already‑scarce funding that sustains aid deliveries. Energy markets reacted almost immediately..

By late afternoon, the Brent crude index rose 2.5 percent, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed 2.8 percent, reflecting trader anxieties about supply disruptions. Futures contracts for May delivery spiked to their highest level since early 2022..

Analysts at Bloomberg Energy noted that “the market is pricing in the possibility of a prolonged outage at Khurais, which processes roughly 1.5 million barrels per day.” Such a loss would represent a sizable dent in Saudi Arabia’s daily output, potentially reshaping the OPEC+ production calculus. In Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman convened an emergency meeting of the Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs. Sources close to the palace said the discussion focused on bolstering maritime security in the Red Sea and accelerating the diversification of the kingdom’s energy portfolio..

The Crown Prince is also reportedly reviewing the progress of the “Vision 2030” initiative, which seeks to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil exports. Critics argue that the current crisis underscores the urgency of those reforms. The United Kingdom, a key partner in the Saudi‑led coalition, announced that its Royal Navy would increase its presence in the Gulf of Aden, deploying an additional frigate equipped with anti‑missile systems..

Defence Minister Ben Wallace stated that the move was “a proportionate response to protect our allies and ensure the free flow of commerce through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.” Similar statements came from France and the United Arab Emirates, signaling a coordinated Western effort to deter further Houthi attacks. Within Yemen, internal dissent among the Houthis is emerging. A senior commander, previously loyal to the movement’s founder, Ali Abdullah Saleh, reportedly defected after the latest offensive, citing disagreements over the group’s expanding focus on external targets..

The commander, whose identity remains concealed for security reasons, allegedly fled to the United Arab Emirates, where he is expected to provide intelligence on Houthi operations. Observers fear that such fractures could either weaken the rebel’s cohesion or, paradoxically, drive them to more radical actions to prove their relevance. The diplomatic arena is also heating up..

Israel, which has faced a barrage of Houthi‑launched drones targeting its ports in the Red Sea, warned that any attack on its assets would be met with a “decisive response.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from Tel Aviv, accused Iran of “weaponising the Yemeni theatre” to destabilise the region and protect its own strategic interests. Iran, for its part, denied direct involvement, insisting that the Houthis act autonomously.