The attacked facility is located near Jeddah International Airport, a city where masses of Muslim pilgrims pass through Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for the Saudi coalition waging war against the Houthis in Yemen, General Turk al-Malki, said the attack was aimed at undermining energy security and hitting the backbone of the global economy.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have stepped up their attacks on Saudi oil facilities, ahead of a temporary ceasefire that is expected to take effect in the month of Ramadan. The Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly stated that it is restrained in the face of the attacks, but this morning it launched a counter-offensive in Yemen, explaining its desire to protect global energy sources and ensure the stability of export chains. The government in Riyadh has warned that the Houthi attacks will harm its oil production and its ability to meet the needs of international markets, all while the energy market is shaking due to the war in Ukraine.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan this weekend condemned the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia, arguing that such attacks are undoubtedly possible with the help of Iran. Tehran denies arming the Houthis, but experts at the UN and countries The West claims that weapons used by the Houthis do originate in Iran. Only at the weekend did the authorities in Tehran radiate the faces of the Houthi leaders in the capital’s ‘Freedom Square’.
The attack on Jeddah, shortly after 17:40 local time yesterday, occurred during the preparations for the Formula 1 race in the city. A photographer from the AP news agency who was covering the training on the Formula 1 track at the time said that from the racing complex the smoke could be seen rising from the scene of the injury. Formula 1 stars such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leckler were reportedly forced to stop training for a short time, and Verstappen reportedly even asked his team-mates if his car caught fire, due to the smoke that reached the track.
The competition to be held tomorrow is the second Grand Prix to be held in Saudi Arabia, and from the beginning some have expressed concern about its existence in Jeddah in the shadow of the Houthi attacks in the region in recent years. Hours after the attack on Friday, Formula 1 organizers announced that plans for Saturday’s training and rankings as well as Sunday’s race remained unchanged.