Saudi Arabia intercepts six Houthi missiles as oil prices hit weekly high
- Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, driving international oil prices to a one-week high amid mounting fears of severe supply disruptions in the...
- Global benchmark oil prices climbed approximately 3% following the missile barrages before settling off their session highs.
- Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer, vice-president of the recognized government council, warned the international community that the Houthis' new geographic perch presents an alarming economic risk.
Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, driving international oil prices to a one-week high amid mounting fears of severe supply disruptions in the Red Sea. The Saudi-led coalition reported that the projectiles targeted Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu industrial area along the Red Sea coast, while the Houthis claimed strikes on Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Oil Markets Surge Amid Red Sea Shipping Threat
Global benchmark oil prices climbed approximately 3% following the missile barrages before settling off their session highs. Market volatility eased somewhat after reports surfaced that the United States and Iran discussed reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Traders remain on edge as the persistent Houthi campaign threatens Saudi Arabia’s ability to export crude through Red Sea shipping lanes. These disruptions compound existing difficulties for the kingdom’s east-west pipeline, which is only recently resuming operations after sustaining drone strikes earlier in September. The militant group seized Yemen’s entire western coast during a rapid offensive, advancing directly to the shores of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway. It remains unclear whether the latest attacks on Taif or Yanbu—which serves as the primary alternative transit route for Saudi petroleum—resulted in any physical damage or casualties.
Yemen’s Recognised Government Appeals to Global Leaders
Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer, vice-president of the recognized government council, warned the international community that the Houthis’ new geographic perch presents an alarming economic risk.
The Houthi militias’ use of shipping safety as a tool for blackmail threatens not only Yemen. It is taking hostage the entire global economy.
Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer Al Alimi-Bawzer urged global powers to prevent advanced weapons and technology from reaching the rebel forces, arguing that securing the maritime corridor is a shared responsibility for all nations reliant on stable energy supply chains and open sea lanes. While the Houthis maintain that their blockade applies exclusively to Saudi vessels and poses no threat to general commercial shipping on the Red Sea, they have issued stern warnings to other nations against military intervention.
Clashes Intensify Along Critical Ground Supply Routes
On the ground in Yemen, government-backed forces successfully repelled overnight Houthi assaults on a vital supply route connecting the southern port city of Aden—where the administration is based—to Taiz, the nation’s third-largest city. Government sources confirmed that fighting concentrated around Hejat al-Abd, a steep mountain pass serving as the sole remaining lifeline for government logistics, local goods, and civilian transit. Control over the mountain pass remains critical, as any rebel advancement would allow the Houthis to tighten their siege on Taiz and deliver another significant setback to state forces.
Joint Defence Pact Triggers Urgent Trilateral Talks
The talks aim to coordinate defensive measures under an existing joint defense agreement stipulating that an armed attack against any single member nation constitutes an attack against all three. Officials in Islamabad have privately expressed deep concern over the prospect of Pakistan being drawn deeper into the protracted Middle Eastern conflict.