Commodities
Houthis claim strikes on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline and Rabigh refinery as Riyadh airport reopens
Riyadh has not confirmed any damage, but the claimed targets include the pipeline Saudi Arabia relies on to move crude around a largely closed Strait of Hormuz.
HedgeWeekly News Desk ·
Yemen's Houthi movement said on Saturday it had attacked oil infrastructure and airports across Saudi Arabia. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree listed the East-West oil pipeline, crude pumping stations, an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh refinery, along with airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran and the Khamis Mushait air base. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the claims, and no damage or casualties at those sites have been verified.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, and that its forces dealt with falling debris near oil sites. Civil Defense issued aerial-threat alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif before lifting them. Separately, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said Saudi strikes in Yemen had killed people; the group put the toll at 17, and Riyadh has not claimed the strikes.
The claims came as Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport prepared to resume flights on Sunday, October 25, after a closure of about two weeks that followed attacks on October 10. Terminal 1 is handling domestic flights and Terminal 2 international services by Saudi national carriers. Saree called the airport a military target and told airlines to stay away. Several foreign carriers have already pushed back their return: British Airways plans to resume Riyadh flights on November 3, KLM on November 1, Air France no earlier than November 7, Lufthansa by November 18, and Air India has suspended Riyadh and Dammam flights through November 7.
Why it matters: the East-West Pipeline is Saudi Arabia's main way to export crude without passing through Hormuz. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on October 6 that it was pumping 5.8 million barrels a day against a 7 million capacity, after drone strikes in early September briefly shut it and Kpler data showed flows of only about 2 million barrels a day in August. Brent settled at $116.72 on Friday and WTI at $103.27, so energy desks will look for Aramco or ministry confirmation of pipeline and Yanbu loadings before Monday's open. If the claims are borne out, the bypass route that has helped keep Gulf supply flowing would be at risk.