Saudi Arabia says it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, and the latest attacks have sent oil prices to a one-week high on fears of spiraling supply disruptions. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the missiles were aimed at Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea, and the Houthis claimed their attacks were aimed at “a sensitive target” in the capital Riyadh and at Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Oil prices rose about 3%, but trading was volatile and prices retreated from session highs after reports that the United States and Iran discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis declared a naval blockade against the kingdom in July, opening a “second scenario in the war between the United States and Iran.” It was unclear if there was damage or casualties in Taif or Yanbu, the main alternative route for Saudi oil. The Houthis seized the entire western Yemeni coast in a lightning offensive almost two weeks ago that took them to the shores of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway in the Red Sea. Why does the civil war in Yemen have world governments on alert? Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Thursday pressed world leaders to help them defeat the militants, saying their new position along one of the world’s busiest waterways presents an international economic risk. While they claim their blockade only applies to Saudi shipping and does not remain a threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Houthis have also warned other nations not to get involved. “The Houthi militias’ use of shipping security as a blackmail tool threatens not only Yemen. It is holding the entire global economy hostage,” said Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer. Arguing that protecting the strait “is the responsibility of every economy that depends on secure supply chains, energy security and freedom of navigation,” he urged the international community to prevent weapons and technology from entering the hands of the rebels. Forces from the Saudi-backed government had earlier repelled overnight attacks by the Houthis on a key supply route to Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, from the southern port city of Aden, where the internationally recognized administration is based, government sources said. The Houthis have kept up the pressure along a steep, winding mountain pass known as Hejat al-Abd, a lifeline for government forces and the only route for goods and residents to reach Taiz and travel abroad. Seizing parts of the highway could allow the Houthis to tighten their control around the city and deal another blow to the government, which has struggled to regain the initiative since losing the western coast. Riyadh’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan would hold an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss ways to help repel Houthi attacks under their joint defense agreement. Under the defense pact, the three countries agreed that an armed attack against any of them would be treated as an attack against all three. Pakistani officials are said to be deeply concerned about being drawn into the endless war raging across the Middle East. With Reuters and Associated Press
