Smoke Seen Near Key Saudi Oil Pipeline

Energy Infrastructure Hit as Houthi Forces Advance

Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show smoke rising near Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West oil pipeline infrastructure following attacks in the region. The incident coincides with Houthi forces capturing the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government. Those same government sources confirmed that their forces withdrew from Perim, while the Houthis also took control of the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, which faces the island. The developments compound severe maritime disruptions in the region. The price of oil touched $108 a barrel on Friday for the first time since May, following the earlier capture of Yemen’s strategic port city of Mokha by Houthi forces, as reported by independent.co.uk. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has relied heavily on the Red Sea route since conflict with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil previously flowed. Mokha sits roughly 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb geopolitical chokepoint, a crucial artery connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden through which about 12 percent of the world’s goods typically ship.

Diplomatic Pressures and Regional Fallout

Amid the escalating violence, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made two phone calls to President Donald Trump on Thursday, pressing the U.S. administration to execute military strikes targeting Houthi forces, according to an Axios report citing two American officials. President Trump turned down the request, with U.S. officials stating that the administration currently has no intention of taking direct military action against the Houthis, though Washington is bolstering support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement. Neither the White House nor the Saudi embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment outside standard business hours. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to attend the BRICS summit in India, alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, according to statements outlined in regional reporting. In a statement released on Friday ahead of the New Delhi summit, President Pezeshkian emphasized the bloc’s economic goals, noting that the BRICS seeks to enable countries to promote economic and regional development without relying on the US dollar, while standing firm against unilateralism and the excessive demands of major powers.