Houthis and Iran-Backed Militias Strike Saudi Oil Infrastructure

The Houthi movement in Yemen and other Iran-backed militias launched a series of coordinated drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure on July 27, 2026. The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, targeting tankers and state oil company Aramco installations in Jizan and Yanbu. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia intercepted drones targeting petroleum facilities in the Riyadh region and the Eastern Province, which the Ministry of Defense attributed to militias operating from Iraqi territory.

These attacks caused tanker traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait to drop to a multi-month low, with only 11 commodity vessels transiting on Sunday. The disruption pushed physical crude cargo prices to two-month highs and forced vessel operators to divert to the Suez Canal or disable transponders to avoid detection.

In response, a Saudi-led military coalition conducted airstrikes inside Yemen. The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the aggression and called on the Iraqi government to stop its territory from being used as a launch point for attacks. Saudi officials stated the kingdom reserves its legitimate right to respond to the sources of these attacks at an appropriate time and place.