Yemen’s Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline Pumping Station

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group said on Thursday that it had attacked a pumping station along Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline and an oil facility in Yanbu on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast, amid escalating hostilities between the two sides.

Saudi Arabia has not immediately commented on the claims, while the Houthis did not disclose when the attacks took place.

The group has intensified its campaign against Saudi Arabia, launching ballistic missiles and drones targeting airports, ports and oil infrastructure. The attacks have placed additional pressure on Riyadh, a US ally, as the wider Middle East conflict continues following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

With the conflict disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has diverted around 4 million barrels of crude per day through its East-West Pipeline to Yanbu, accounting for approximately 4% of global oil supply.

The alternative route has helped shield Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, from the worst effects of the wartime closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has severely disrupted exports from neighbouring countries.

Separately, the Houthis' military spokesperson on Thursday denied that the group had targeted Mecca with two ballistic missiles, which Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said were intercepted and destroyed on Wednesday. Debris reportedly fell in parts of the Mecca region, including Sabuhah village.

The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, dismissing previous accusations by the Saudi-led coalition that they had launched drones towards the sacred sites.