Houthis Renew Attacks on Saudi Energy Infrastructure Amid Escalating Red Sea Tensions
Key Takeaways
- •Houthi militants attacked Saudi troops in Yemen's Al-Mokha region using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones, while also striking a cargo vessel off the coast, resulting in casualties.
- •The Houthi blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has reduced traffic to only 18 vessel transits as of Monday, disrupting a route that carries approximately 7% of global seaborne oil flows.
- •Aramco's 400,000 b/d refinery in Jizan was struck again after being forced to halt operations in late July due to previous Houthi attacks on its fuel and oil storage facilities.
- •The Houthis have also targeted the port of Yanbu, through which approximately 70% of Saudi Arabia's crude exports are channeled via the 1,200 km East-West Pipeline.
- •Major shipping companies have increasingly rerouted vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the escalating risk of attacks in the Red Sea corridor.
13 August 2026
Renewed Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure continue to threaten global crude supplies as regional tensions escalate across critical maritime trade routes. Saudi Arabia is OPEC's largest producer and the world's top crude oil exporter, making disruptions to its output and shipping routes a recurring concern for energy markets already sensitive to supply risks.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants attacked Saudi Arabian troops stationed in Yemen's Al-Mokha region using "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones," Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e announced on the social media platform X.
The air assault also targeted a cargo vessel off the coast of Al-Mokha in the southern Red Sea, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile, resulting in casualties. "Vessels are advised to transit with caution," the UKMTO warned.
Bab al-Mandeb Strait Blockade
The Houthi group has maintained its blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively blocking vessels from transporting Saudi Arabian crude oil through the Red Sea.
Like the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a critically important gateway to the Red Sea, overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden. It carries approximately 7% of global seaborne oil flows.
As of Monday, only 18 vessels had transited the strait, according to market intelligence firm Windward.
Following Houthi warnings directed at Saudi-affiliated cargo, the waters connecting the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea via the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have become a new zone for maritime attacks. The escalation has contributed to a broader pattern of disruption in the Red Sea corridor, where major shipping companies have increasingly rerouted vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the risk of attack.
Aramco Refinery Hit Again
Earlier this week, the Houthis struck Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco's 400,000 b/d refinery in Jizan, Sare'e said. The refinery was forced to halt operations at the end of July after previous Houthi strikes damaged the facility's fuel and oil storage sites.
In recent days, the Houthis have also targeted the port of Yanbu, which handles the majority of Saudi oil shipments.
Riyadh relies heavily on its 1,200 km East-West Pipeline, which channels approximately 70% of the kingdom's crude exports through the Red Sea terminal at Yanbu, allowing it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
By striking Red Sea ports in Saudi Arabia, the Houthis are jeopardizing the security of the OPEC producer's backup oil and fuel shipping routes, according to market analysts. The Jizan refinery strikes echo earlier attacks on Aramco facilities, including the September 2019 missile and drone strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais processing facilities that temporarily knocked out roughly half of Saudi crude production.
Source: By Aparupa Mazumder, ENGINE,
