Houthis claim attack on Aramco site in Yanbu
Loadings at the Saudi port were already suspended after pipeline damage last month
Published
Yemen's Houthi movement said it targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Saudi Red Sea port and refining hub.
Saudi Arabia had already suspended loadings at Yanbu and cancelled cargoes after the East-West pipeline was shut following a September attack. Satellite imagery confirmed damage at two pump stations along the pipeline from a September 10 drone strike, including one facility hit before. Storage at Yanbu covers only five to seven days of exports.
Brent crude rose 3.0% to $108.86 a barrel and WTI jumped 4.7% to $106.15 as the pipeline outage disrupted supply. The Saudi-led coalition has vowed action against the Houthis after intercepting a drone aimed at protecting the holy mosques, while separate talks between US officials and the Houthis in Oman produced a pledge from the group to avoid attacking Israeli vessels.
The claim on Yanbu fits a pattern of Houthi strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure rather than a new escalation. With loadings at the port already suspended and crude prices already up more than $3 a barrel on supply concerns, the market has priced in disruption risk at this location. The claim adds little to the oil-shock scenario already in place.