Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized Yemen’s port city of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while separate drone strikes hit Saudi Arabia’s major East-West oil pipeline, driving Brent crude above $105 a barrel and sparking global energy supply fears.
The widening regional conflict escalated sharply as Houthi forces tightened their grip on the southern entrance to the Red Sea, capturing strategic maritime choke points just as Saudi Arabia shut down its primary crude transport artery following drone attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, according to regional reporting.
Red Sea Strategic Shifts and Bab el-Mandeb Control
Following the withdrawal of Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, Houthi fighters advanced down the Red Sea coast, taking the mainland town of Dhubab before arriving at Perim Island in the Hanish Islands archipelago. The capture of Mocha gave the group a direct foothold on the approaches to one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
Saudi crude flows through Bab el-Mandeb had already fallen sharply before these latest movements, as persistent Houthi threats diverted oil tankers away from the Red Sea. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg addressed the Security Council, warning that the international community faces a new and more dangerous phase in the ongoing conflict.
Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, US representative
At the same United Nations meeting, Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz accused the Houthis of acting as agents and tools of Iran. Meanwhile, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam stated that the group’s operations were defensive and would cease once attacks on Yemen stopped. Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources told Reuters the Houthi advance down the coast this week came with direct guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Saudi Pipeline Sabotage and Global Energy Impacts
The territorial advances coincided with a major drone assault on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which runs approximately 1,200 kilometres across the Arabian Peninsula from the kingdom’s eastern oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. Built in the 1980s, the conduit had become an essential bypass route for crude exports after tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz faced severe disruption.
The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed that the pipeline had been shut down as a precautionary measure following multiple strikes that left several people injured and caused damage to pumping stations. Satellite imagery displayed fire and thick black smoke rising from at least one hit facility, while early assessments showed the infrastructure had been moving between 4 million and 5 million barrels of oil per day in recent months, accounting for roughly 4% to 5% of global supply.
Energy markets reacted swiftly to the dual pressures on Middle Eastern transit routes. Brent crude rose as much as 4 per cent to surpass $US105 a barrel, while the US national average diesel price climbed above $US6 a gallon for the first time.
Diplomatic Fallout and Military Damage in Jordan
The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that the drones involved in the pipeline attack originated from Iraq, prompting a diplomatic intervention. Riyadh held back from immediate military retaliation after Iraq’s prime minister requested time to investigate and take action against those responsible. Baghdad subsequently dismissed a military commander, ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran, and launched a wide-scale security operation.
Pakistan delivered a Saudi warning to Tehran urging regional de-escalation, though a senior Iranian official maintained that Iran does not control the Houthis.
The broader regional conflict also impacted US military assets. Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan damaged several aircraft, including an A-10 Thunderbolt II that lost a wing and about eight F-15 fighter jets that sustained light damage before returning to service, according to a US official.
