Global Allies Rally Around Saudi Arabia as Escalating Houthi Attacks Threaten Critical Energy Infrastructure

France announced plans to deploy military personnel to protect the vital Red Sea port of Yanbu as Saudi Arabia faces an escalation in Houthi attacks. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Paris will send soldiers, radars, and defence systems to safeguard the oil terminal, emphasizing that the deployment aims to secure the facility rather than intervene in the broader conflict. Yanbu is a crucial hub hosting major oil storage and refining facilities connected to the East-West Pipeline.

Meanwhile, Saudi officials have engaged in high-level discussions with counterparts from Pakistan and Turkiye to evaluate options under their mutual defence pact. Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye met to arrange an urgent meeting of their military chiefs of staff under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which mandates that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. Concurrently, the Saudi grand mufti urged soldiers to defend the kingdom against the Houthi threat.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has intensified missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi infrastructure, including recent attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and a sensitive target in Riyadh, though Saudi forces reported intercepting six ballistic missiles. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Yemen’s Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader al-Alimi-Bawzer criticized the Houthis for exploiting shipping security to hold the global economy hostage. Despite these security pressures, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud noted that the kingdom continues its cooperation with United States partners.

The ongoing assaults have severely impacted energy flows and regional stability. Houthi forces recently seized the Yemeni port of Mocha and several Red Sea islands, increasing control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait. These disruptions have affected the East-West Pipeline, forcing Saudi Arabia to redirect certain exports back through the Strait of Hormuz amid the broader conflict. Consequently, Brent crude experienced upward price pressure, climbing above $108 a barrel before stabilizing around $105.77, with market analysts projecting that oil prices will remain elevated above $100 as regional hostilities persist.