As the U.S. has paused its attacks for four days now, Iran appears to be redirecting its attention toward Saudi Arabia, aiming to disrupt Saudi efforts to transfer oil exports from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported on Monday that it intercepted several drones launched by Iran targeting oil facilities in both eastern Saudi Arabia and Riyadh.
Major General Turki Al Maliki, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, mentioned that the “terrorist” attacks originated from Iraqi territory and involved “Iranian-backed terrorist militias” over several hours on Monday morning.
Maliki emphasized that Saudi Arabia would exercise its “inherent right to defend itself and its assets” and would respond when deemed appropriate.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the drone attacks carried out by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, calling them “reprehensible.”
In their statement, they urged the Iraqi government to take necessary actions to prevent its territory from being used for acts of aggression.
On the same day, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, another Iranian proxy, claimed responsibility for attacks targeting critical points involved in transporting crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to the port city of Yanbu along the Red Sea.
Yanbu has become increasingly crucial for Saudi Arabia, now linked to oil fields through a pipeline network that transports about 7 million barrels per day as a way to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, most Saudi oil exports sailed from the Persian Gulf, but Yanbu’s role has notably increased.
Last week, the Houthis declared a “maritime ban” on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, a move they framed as retaliation for Saudi actions in Yemen. This included attacking two Saudi tankers, and they even sent warnings to shipping companies about potential attacks on vessels believed to be carrying Saudi oil.
On Saturday, the Houthis reportedly struck refinery facilities in Yanbu and Jizan with missiles, causing a fire at one of the sites. The Saudi military reported that the initial attack on Yanbu was intercepted by a U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system operated by Greece under a defense agreement.
Reportedly, Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that it had stopped exporting crude oil from its west coast due to the Houthi-enforced maritime embargo on Saudi shipping.
Instead, they are now routing crude oil to Asia through a longer route into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, which significantly increases transport time to places like China, India, and Japan.
Given that the Suez Canal cannot accommodate the very large crude carriers, Saudi Arabia will require twice as many smaller tankers, adding $2 million in extra costs for every two million barrels transported.
Ship tracking company Kpler indicated that shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has significantly dropped since the Houthis blocked the Red Sea, with only 11 vessels passing through on Sunday—the lowest volume in months.
It seems the Houthis might have been cautious about attacking further, since some tankers in transit were headed to China and Pakistan. Meanwhile, only ten ships were reported passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has faced blockades by Iran.
Typically, around 8% of the world’s oil flows through these straits, and a significant portion originates from Saudi Arabia, particularly since they began utilizing their pipeline network to bypass Hormuz.
President Donald Trump commented on Thursday that he would hold Iran accountable for the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
He pointed out that a year ago, the U.S. had forcefully targeted the Houthis for interfering with commerce and mentioned that they had displayed responsibility since then, but now they seemed to be active again, citing a recent attack on two Saudi vessels.
Trump stressed that if such attacks continued, it would reflect Iranian accountability, noting that serious military consequences would follow for both Iran and the Houthis, expressing disappointment with the recent escalation of their actions.
