Houthis Again Attack Saudi Oil Refinery

The Houthi group in Yemen has again launched attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s oil refinery on the southern Red Sea coast on Tuesday (18/8). The drone strikes were reported by Houthi-affiliated media, as the Iran-backed rebel group intensifies its attacks against Saudi Arabia after announcing a maritime blockade.

Yemen, which has been embroiled in a civil conflict for more than a decade, became the latest country drawn into the Middle East war in July. This occurred when the Houthis abandoned the 2022 ceasefire with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, launching attacks on government-held territory as well as Saudi Arabia.

“The Houthis targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with a number of drones… in response to violations of airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah in Yemen,” reported the Houthi news agency Saba on Tuesday (18/8), citing military sources.

Last month, the Houthis received an Iranian aircraft landing in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, triggering a series of retaliatory strikes from the Saudi-led coalition.

They subsequently announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, the backer of the Yemeni government, which leads the coalition that has heavily bombarded Houthi territory during the war. The Houthis have attacked Saudi tankers sailing in the Red Sea.

Earlier on Sunday (9/8), the Houthis claimed to have struck Saudi oil facilities on the Red Sea coast in response to the infiltration of drones from Saudi Arabia into northwestern Yemen.

The Houthi threat to shipping lanes and Saudi oil facilities coincides with Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a key point of tension between Tehran and Washington amid efforts to end the war.