Key facts
- Yemeni government forces struck Houthi positions and equipment in Dhubab and al-Khokha on Sunday.
- The strikes were part of an effort to dislodge Houthis after they captured the port city of Mokha and Perim Island.
- The Houthis also launched missiles at several areas in Saudi Arabia, including the Sharurah military base.
- Oil prices climbed more than 2% on Monday, with Brent crude futures opening at $108.23 a barrel.
- U.S. diesel prices surpassed $6 a gallon on Friday for the first time on record.
- Saudi Arabia closed its East-West oil pipeline as a precautionary measure after drone damage.
Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched strikes on Sunday against Iran-backed Houthi positions and equipment in the Dhubab and al-Khokha areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The attacks are part of an effort to dislodge the Houthis after they captured the port city of Mokha and Perim Island, strategic locations that threaten shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
In parallel, the Houthis launched missiles at several areas in Saudi Arabia, including the Sharurah military base in the Najran region. Saudi authorities reported that a projectile struck al-Tuwal in Jazan province, wounding two people and damaging property. Earlier in the week, Saudi Arabia stated that a large wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks over four southern cities injured 73 people.
The escalating conflict has impacted global energy markets. Oil prices climbed more than 2% on Monday, with Brent crude futures opening at $108.23 a barrel and WTI futures at $103.20. U.S. diesel prices surpassed $6 a gallon on Friday for the first time on record. Saudi Arabia closed its East-West oil pipeline as a precautionary measure after multiple drones, which U.S. President Donald Trump suggested were likely from Iran, damaged infrastructure in the Riyadh and Medina regions. This pipeline rerouted around 4 million barrels per day, approximately 4% of global supply.
The attacks have also reignited fighting in Yemen’s civil war, displacing over 82,000 people since the start of September, according to the U.N.’s migration agency. Diplomatic efforts to end the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran have stalled, with an anticipated meeting between Gulf countries and Iran in Oman postponed.