Houthis eye Yemen’s oil-rich east after seizing Red Sea coast

Live updates

1. 2h ago

   Houthis Target Saudi Pipeline as Control of Red Sea Coast Expands

   Saudi Aramco has halted October crude deliveries to Indian and some European refiners following attacks on three pumping stations along the Saudi East-West pipeline. The disruption coincides with Houthi rebels seizing additional islands in the southern Red Sea to strengthen their control over shipping routes. While Saudi Arabia explores alternative oil export options, the attacks have triggered a decline in Gulf stocks and volatile energy markets. West Texas Intermediate oil prices recently slipped below $100, though replacement barrels for affected refiners remain expensive as freight costs are expected to rise.

   Why it matters

   The Houthi movement is expanding its territorial reach from the Red Sea coast toward Yemen's oil-rich eastern regions. This escalation threatens critical energy infrastructure and global oil flows. Saudi Arabia is currently managing the fallout of these attacks amid reported diplomatic tensions with the United States.

   What is confirmed

   • Saudi Aramco stopped crude supplies to Indian and some European refiners for October following pipeline attacks.
   • Three pumping stations along the Saudi East-West pipeline were hit in a recent attack.
   • Houthi rebels have seized more key islands in the southern Red Sea.
   • Saudi and Gulf stocks fell after Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Donald Trump may have abandoned the Bab al-Mandeb strait to the Houthis.

   What to watch next

   • Confirmation of Saudi Arabia's alternative oil export routes
   • Houthi military movement toward eastern Yemen oil fields
   • Official US response to Saudi requests for support
   Sources used for this update (14)

   1. AP News — Yemen's Houthi rebels seize more key islands in southern Red Sea, tighten grip on shipping routes
   2. The New York Times — Saudi Arabia Faces ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ After Being Rebuffed by Trump
   3. AP News — What the closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could mean for oil flows
   4. CBS News — How Iran's regional allies' attacks in Yemen are compounding the war's impact on oil prices
   5. WSJ — Saudi Arabia Has Another Option to Get Its Oil Out
   6. Al Jazeera — ‘They called us’: Has Trump abandoned Bab al-Mandeb to the Houthis?
   7. Reuters — Three pumping stations along Saudi East-West Pipeline were hit in recent attack, sources say
   8. WSJ — Oil Prices Fall for Third Day as WTI Slips Below $100
   9. The Nation — A Spreading War Rattles Global Energy Markets
   10. Bloomberg.com — Saudis Tell European Refiners They’ll Get No Crude Next Month
   11. Reuters — Aramco halts October crude deliveries to some European refiners after pipeline attack, Bloomberg reports
   12. The Times of Israel — Houthis eye Yemen’s oil-rich east after seizing Red Sea coast
   confidence 90%