Houthis claim drone, ballistic missile strikes on Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia, 73 injured

RIYADH, September 8 — Saudi Arabia has vowed to retaliate after a series of missile strikes from Yemen's Houthis crippled oil facilities and inflicted injuries upon 73 individuals, marking the most severe assault by the Iran-backed rebels in recent times. The overnight attacks resulted in "temporary" closures at oil sites, leaving authorities to acknowledge the threat posed by the group along the southern Saudi border.

Tensions have resurfaced between the Houthis and Saudi forces following the collapse of a four-year truce in July, amid the ongoing Middle East conflict between the United States and Iran. In the past several days, the fighting has claimed the lives of hundreds, with clashes occurring around the Bab al-Mandab strait, the gateway to the crucial Red Sea shipping lane.

The Houthi strikes against energy installations are anticipated to exert upward pressure on oil prices, which have surged since Iran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, severely restricting Gulf shipments. Saudi Arabia will "take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty," a foreign ministry statement asserted, demanding an end to the Houthi strikes and their targeted attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

According to the Houthis' military spokesman, dozens of ballistic missiles were launched, striking Abha International Airport, King Khalid air base, and Aramco facilities in Abha and Jizan, among others. Graphic footage from Jizan, an oil hub with a daily refining capacity of 400,000 barrels, revealed that one of the nation's largest refineries had been inactive for weeks following Houthi assaults.

The latest attacks followed the Houthis' allegation on Monday that Riyadh had orchestrated a prison incident, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals and the disappearance of 20 inmates, as reported by Al Masirah TV. Grim images from the incident showcased rescuers utilizing their bare hands to sift through debris and carrying bodies wrapped in blankets.

The Houthis have reignited hostilities in Yemen's civil war since July, when they permitted an Iranian aircraft to land in defiance of Saudi control of Yemeni airspace. They have also been targeting Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, a vital export route since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in support of its conflict with the United States.

The Saudi-led coalition, engaged in combat against the Houthis on behalf of the government since 2015, also pledged to respond to the most recent attacks. The Joint Forces Command of the coalition declared that they will "take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralize its danger." An energy ministry source informed the Saudi Press Agency that "several energy sector facilities and installations" in the south were targeted, citing fires at multiple locations and a temporary suspension of certain operations, along with numerous injuries.

Analyst Andreas Krieg from King's College London emphasized that the Houthi attacks present a "significant conundrum" for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. While Saudi Arabia has been attempting to withdraw from the Yemen conflict for four years, "relaxation could inadvertently grant the Houthis the opportunity to determine the trajectory of escalation," Krieg noted.

"Saudi Arabia's immediate response is expected to remain measured, encompassing airstrikes, intelligence support, and reinforcement of Yemeni government forces. However, persistent attacks on Saudi cities may prove increasingly challenging to manage, and the Houthis are effectively probing the extent of Riyadh's true red line."