Houthi Rebels Seize Control of Yemeni Red Sea Coastline

ADEN, Yemen – Houthi rebels secured control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline on Friday. This action positions the group along a key international shipping route. Simultaneously, unidentified actors carried out drone attacks on two Saudi Aramco oil pumping stations inside Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih stated that two drone strikes occurred on two pumping stations for the East-West pipeline. These strikes took place between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday. One drone caused a fire at pumping station number 8 in Afif, Riyadh Province. Another drone targeted pumping station number 9 in Duwadmi, Riyadh Province. Authorities brought the fire under control. Saudi Aramco initiated emergency procedures and temporarily shut down the pipeline.

The East-West pipeline, also known as the Petroline, transports crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The pipeline has a capacity of 5 million barrels per day. The pipeline closure resulted in a temporary halt of crude oil deliveries through the system. Production and exports of Saudi crude oil continued without disruption from other facilities, according to Al-Falih.

Al-Falih condemned the attacks, describing them as acts of terrorism. He stated the attacks targeted global oil supplies. He also said they demonstrated the need for international action against terrorist groups. He did not attribute blame for the drone strikes to any specific group.

Houthi rebels previously claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. On May 14, a Houthi military spokesman stated the group launched seven drones targeting vital Saudi installations. The spokesman identified the targets as Saudi Aramco pumping stations.

These developments follow recent incidents in the region. On May 12, Saudi Arabia reported sabotage attacks on two of its oil tankers near the Fujairah emirate in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation reported that four commercial vessels experienced sabotage operations near Emirati territorial waters. The ministry did not specify the nature of the sabotage or identify those responsible. No casualties or oil spills occurred from these incidents.