Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Sep 12: Saudi Arabia on Friday shut down its major East-West oil pipeline as a precautionary measure, a day after it was targeted by drones, while Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured the strategic island of Mayun at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, officials said.
The developments have opened a new front in the wider Iran conflict and heightened concerns over global oil supplies and shipping through one of the world's most important maritime corridors.
The Houthi takeover of Mayun, also known as Perim, marks the group's biggest territorial gain in years along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The narrow waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a key route for global energy and commercial shipping.
The advance could strengthen Iran's efforts to push up international oil and gas prices and increase pressure on the United States.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said the East-West pipeline was shut down as a "precautionary measure" after it was attacked by drones on Thursday.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said several drones involved in the attack had originated from Iraq. In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, Riyadh said it would refrain from retaliating to give the Iraqi government "an opportunity to take the necessary measures".
The Iraqi government condemned the attack and ordered an investigation.
Saudi Arabia and the United States had bombed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in July after accusing them of carrying out drone attacks against Saudi oil facilities. Those attacks were claimed by the Houthis, while regional officials told The Associated Press that the Yemeni rebels had helped Iraqi militias plan and carry out the operations.
Built in the 1980s, the East-West pipeline has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia during disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. By early June, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline's western end had risen to more than 5 million barrels per day, more than double earlier levels, according to the International Energy Agency.
The capture of Mayun was confirmed by a senior military official from Yemen's internationally recognised government and a Houthi official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.
Mayun is a small, barren volcanic island located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Its strategic position gives control over an important maritime passage only about 28 kilometres wide.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has increasingly depended on the Red Sea as an alternative route for its crude as Iran has targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the Houthi campaign has made the Red Sea route increasingly difficult.
In a statement on Friday, Houthi forces claimed advances along the coast without directly mentioning Mayun, Mokha or the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group vowed "escalation for escalation" against Saudi Arabia and said maritime navigation would remain safe for all companies except Saudi vessels.
The latest developments have unsettled oil markets. Crude prices again crossed $100 a barrel this week, potentially giving Iran greater leverage in any negotiations.
The Houthis have attacked Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea since declaring a blockade in July and have also targeted Saudi oil infrastructure. The rebels have said their actions are in response to Saudi Arabia's years-long blockade of Houthi-held areas of Yemen.
A Houthi broadcaster reported that Saudi Arabia struck the airport in the port city of Mokha after the rebels captured it on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.
A senior official from Yemen's internationally recognised government said the authorities were surprised that Saudi aircraft did not prevent the capture of Mokha, located about 80 kilometres from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The official suggested Saudi Arabia may not have received US approval for a major air campaign. He also blamed poor coordination between Yemen's army and allied militias for allowing the Houthis to make rapid gains.
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had declined by around 60% after the Houthis began attacking ships in late 2023 in what they described as a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Traffic increased this year as Saudi Arabia looked for alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, but renewed Houthi threats have again curtailed shipping activity, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.
Saudi Arabia is now being forced to consider longer routes, including sending oil north from the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal or via a pipeline across Egypt. These routes are considerably longer for Saudi customers in Asia. The Houthis have also threatened the northern Red Sea route and struck a Saudi vessel there in late August.
Iran on Friday called for an end to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-held areas, while urging a return to negotiations between Riyadh and the rebels.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry's appeal came amid growing signs of the Houthis' importance to Tehran. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said any negotiated settlement with the United States should include Yemen, marking the first explicit reference to the Yemeni front in such talks.
Saudi Arabia said it had consistently offered opportunities for negotiations while asserting its right to defend itself. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia had spoken on Thursday about diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring regional stability.
As Houthi forces advanced along Yemen's Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government appealed for international assistance.
Its National Defense Council, in a statement issued Friday following a meeting the previous day, said Yemen was on the front line of defending freedom of navigation and condemned the renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The escalation threatens a fragile truce that had largely halted Yemen's civil war since 2022. The conflict has killed around 150,000 people and pushed millions towards famine in what is one of the Arab world's poorest countries.
The latest fighting has also triggered a fresh humanitarian crisis. More than 46,000 people fled their homes during the past week, according to the UN migration agency.
Abdusattor Esoev, mission chief in Yemen for the International Organization for Migration, said displaced people were leaving with "whatever they can grab". He said the number of displaced people had more than doubled during the week and could rise sharply.
"You see the fears in their eyes, and people are scared," Esoev said.
Those fleeing include doctors and other medical workers. Doctors Without Borders said it was prioritising keeping the hospital in Mokha operational after most of its staff were forced to leave.
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2014, when they seized large parts of northern and central Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year in support of the government.