Saudi Arabia announced Friday that it had temporarily suspended operations on a major oil pipeline after it was targeted by drones. The move came a day after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized a strategically important island near the southern entrance to the Red Sea, according to two officials. The developments have added a new dimension to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The Houthis have made their most significant territorial advance in several years near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital international shipping route. Their growing presence in the area could support Iran’s efforts to push global oil and gas prices higher and increase pressure on the United States.
Saudi Arabia said it stopped the East-West pipeline as a safety precaution following the drone attack. The country’s Ministry of Energy described the decision as a preventive step.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said several drones involved in the attack had originated from Iraq. In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, Riyadh said it would refrain from retaliating to allow the Iraqi government time to take appropriate action. Iraq condemned the attack and announced an investigation.
Saudi Arabia and the United States previously carried out strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq in July after accusing them of launching drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. The Houthi rebels had claimed responsibility for some of those attacks. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis had assisted Iraqi militias in organizing and carrying out the operations.
East-West Pipeline Has Been Important Since the 1980s
Constructed during the 1980s, the East-West pipeline has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom looks for ways to transport its oil without relying on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has attacked ships during the war.
By early June, Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea port connected to the pipeline had risen to more than 5 million barrels a day, more than twice the previous level, according to the International Energy Agency.
The Houthis also seized Mayun, a small volcanic island located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The island, also known as Perim, is strategically positioned along one of the world's major maritime routes. The capture was confirmed by a senior official from Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Houthi representative. Both officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has increasingly depended on Red Sea routes to transport crude as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. However, Houthi attempts to restrict traffic through the 28-kilometer (17-mile) Bab el-Mandeb passage have complicated those efforts.
In a statement Friday, Houthi forces celebrated their advances along the coast but did not specifically mention Mayun, Mokha or the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They promised to respond to Saudi actions with further escalation and said maritime traffic would remain safe for all companies except Saudi vessels.
The developments have caused concern in global markets. Analysts consider the Houthis difficult to predict, and oil prices once again climbed above $100 per barrel this week, potentially strengthening Iran's position in future negotiations.
Yemen Government Criticizes Saudi Response
The Houthis have attacked Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea since announcing a blockade in July. They have also targeted oil facilities inside Saudi Arabia, saying their actions are retaliation for Saudi Arabia's long-running blockade of areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.
After the Houthis captured the port city of Mokha on Thursday, Saudi forces reportedly carried out an airstrike on its airport, according to a Houthi media outlet. No casualties or significant damage were immediately reported.
A senior official from Yemen's internationally recognized government told the AP that officials were surprised Saudi aircraft had not prevented the Houthi takeover of Mokha, which lies roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The official suggested Saudi Arabia may not have received approval from Washington to launch a major air campaign.
The official also pointed to poor coordination among Yemen's government forces and allied militias, saying the lack of cooperation gave the Houthis a major strategic advantage.
Shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has dropped by around 60% since the Houthis began attacking selected vessels in late 2023 in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Traffic increased this year as Saudi Arabia searched for alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, but renewed Houthi threats have reduced that activity, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.
Saudi Arabia has therefore been forced to consider another route, transporting oil northward through the Red Sea and then toward the Mediterranean, either through the Suez Canal or via a pipeline crossing Egypt. Both options create a considerably longer journey for Saudi customers in Asia. The Houthis have also threatened these routes and attacked a Saudi ship in the northern Red Sea in late August.
Iran Urges Renewed Saudi-Houthi Negotiations
Iranian authorities on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to end its blockade of Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, signaling continued support for the Houthis. Tehran also urged both sides to resume negotiations.
The Houthis' significance to Iran was further highlighted Wednesday when a spokesperson for Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said any agreement reached between Iran and the United States should also address Yemen. It was the first clear statement from Iran linking Yemen to the negotiations.
Saudi Arabia said it had consistently provided opportunities for dialogue but maintained that it had the right to protect itself. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia spoke Thursday about diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring regional stability.
Escalation Raises Fears of Renewed Civil War
As Houthi fighters advanced along Yemen's Red Sea coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government appealed to the international community for assistance.
In a statement issued Friday following a meeting the previous day, Yemen's National Defense Council said the country was at the forefront of efforts to protect freedom of navigation. It also condemned the Houthis' renewed attacks against Saudi Arabia.
The latest escalation threatens to undermine a fragile truce that has largely kept Yemen's civil war under control since 2022. The conflict has already had devastating consequences for Yemen's population of about 40 million, killing an estimated 150,000 people and leaving millions at risk of famine.
The recent increase in violence has also caused a major displacement crisis. More than 46,000 people fled their homes during the past week, according to the U.N. migration agency.
Abdusattor Esoev, the International Organization for Migration's mission chief in Yemen, said displaced families were leaving with only whatever possessions they could quickly carry. He noted that the number of displaced people had more than doubled during the week and could increase substantially.
“You see the fears in their eyes, and people are scared,” Esoev said.
Medical professionals were among those forced to flee. Lou Cormack, Yemen coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the organization was working to keep Mokha's hospital functioning after most of its staff had departed.
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2014, when they took control of large parts of northern and central Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year to support the Yemeni government.