Saudi energy facilities hit by wave of Houthi strikes

{"text":[[{"start":7.28,"text":"A wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia caused fires at energy facilities in the kingdom and wounded more than 70 people, marking a significant escalation by the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels."}],[{"start":20.74,"text":"The Saudi energy ministry said attacks on Tuesday led to the “temporary halt in some operations”, adding that specialised teams were working to contain fires at several locations and assess the damage."}],[{"start":32.44,"text":"Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 1.7 per cent to $98.60 on Tuesday."}],[{"start":40.2,"text":"The Houthi strikes, which targeted facilities in four southern cities in Saudi Arabia, appeared to be one of the biggest rebel attacks on the kingdom in years and underlined how a conflict that had been relatively calm is returning to full-blown war."}],[{"start":54.32,"text":"It also threatens to open another front in the war engulfing the Middle East, with the Houthis considered one of the most potent members of Iran’s “axis of resistance” of militant groups."}],[{"start":64.96,"text":"Major General Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen’s civil war more than a decade ago, said 73 civilians were wounded in attacks on “civilian and economic sites” in the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran."}],[{"start":82.76,"text":"He described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said the coalition would “take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralise its danger”."}],[{"start":93.36,"text":"Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities will add to the pressure on oil prices, which have been pushed up by the US-Israeli war against Iran and Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":105.08,"text":"The FT reported on Monday that a Houthi attack hit oil facilities in the Saudi industrial city of Jizan."}],[{"start":111.72,"text":"Jizan is home to a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery, which is among the country’s largest, along with associated plants and energy infrastructure."}],[{"start":120.64,"text":"State-controlled Saudi Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser said last month that the attacks had caused some interruptions to the company’s oil production but that this had no material operational or financial impact."}],[{"start":132.24,"text":"The Houthi military said on Tuesday that it carried out a “large-scale military operation” targeting Aramco facilities in several Saudi cities and an air base in “response to the enemy’s crimes”, according to Houthi-run Al Masirah TV channel."}],[{"start":147.96,"text":"Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to lead an Arab coalition against the Houthis after the rebels seized Sana’a, the Yemeni capital, and ousted the internationally recognised government."}],[{"start":160.44,"text":"The conflict had been largely dormant since the warring parties agreed a truce in 2022. But hostilities resumed after the Houthis declared they were imposing a blockade on Saudi ports in July and began attacking tankers in the Red Sea and firing missiles and drones at the kingdom."}],[{"start":177.8,"text":"The Houthis — whom Riyadh claims are being encouraged by Tehran — have threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has become a vital route for Saudi oil exports since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz."}],[{"start":190.32,"text":"At the weekend, the Houthis — who control much of Yemen’s populous north — launched a ground offensive along the Arab state’s Red Sea coast in an apparent attempt to advance towards Bab al-Mandeb."}],[{"start":202.4,"text":"Yemenis reported fighting around the historic port of Mocha and the city of Taiz, causing thousands of people to flee their homes."}],[{"start":209.98,"text":"The Houthi offensive has triggered the fiercest fighting in Yemen in six years, as the rebels battle Saudi-backed forces aligned to the Yemeni government who have launched their own counteroffensives."}],[{"start":221.3,"text":"The Houthis on Monday accused Saudi Arabia of launching air strikes against its forces in several Yemeni provinces."}],[{"start":229.12,"text":"Before the 2022 ceasefire, the Houthis fired regular barrages of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. Most were intercepted, but those that got through the kingdom’s air defences damaged energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure."}],[{"start":247.8,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1788928756_8277.mp3"}