Militants say they struck the Saudi capital
Yemen's Houthi movement said it launched strikes on Riyadh on Saturday, September 19, hours after residents reported a plume of smoke near the city's airport. Air raid alerts sounded in the Saudi capital for the first time since the group escalated its campaign against the kingdom. A Houthi spokesperson said the operation targeted sites in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, and described it as a response to coalition strikes on Yemeni cities.
Ports, islands and the Bab al-Mandab route
The attacks follow a string of Houthi gains along Yemen's coast. Earlier this month the group took the port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed government forces and captured two islands near the Bab al-Mandab strait. With the Strait of Hormuz closed during the US war with Iran, Bab al-Mandab is the main remaining route for Gulf oil and cargo. About 30 tankers have been reported within range of Houthi weapons near Yanbu, and ship tracking data showed vessels reversing course rather than risk the passage. Carriers that do sail are taking the longer route around southern Africa, adding days to each voyage and pushing freight and insurance costs up for importers in Europe and Asia.
The wider stalemate
Saudi Arabia said it would not retaliate for an earlier pipeline strike that Baghdad confirmed was launched from Iraq, asking Iraq to act instead. Riyadh appears to be trying to keep the fighting contained while Washington stays focused on Iran, nearly six months after joint US and Israeli operations began on February 28. S&P Global Energy said this month that Middle East crude production is unlikely to reach prewar levels before the end of 2027. Diesel prices in the United States have already set records above $6.30 a gallon because of the disruption, and cargo owners in Asia are booking space on longer routes as a hedge. Analysts warn that a direct hit on a laden tanker could push insurers to withdraw coverage, which would effectively close the route regardless of what governments decide.
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