Houthis target refinery in southern Saudi Arabia: Media
Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a drone attack on an Aramco oil refinery in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. This escalation follows the Houthis' announcement of a maritime blockade and marks a significant increase in regional tensions.
Why it matters
The attack threatens global energy infrastructure and signals a breakdown in the 2022 truce, potentially destabilizing the Red Sea region.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeted an oil refinery on Saudi Arabia's southern Red Sea coast Tuesday (August 18, 2026), rebel media reported, as the group ramps up attacks on the kingdom after announcing a maritime blockade.
Yemen, embroiled in more than a decade of civil conflict, in July became the latest country to be dragged into the West Asia war as the Houthis upended a 2022 truce with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, launching attacks on areas it holds as well as Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis "targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with several drones... in response to airspace violations over the governorates of Saada and Hajjah" in Yemen, Houthi news agency Saba said Tuesday (August 18, 2026), citing a military source.
Last month, the Houthis welcomed an Iranian plane landing in Yemen's capital Sanaa, setting off a spate of tit-for-tat attacks.
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