Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated their confrontation with Saudi Arabia, launching a coordinated series of missile and drone attacks against energy and military installations across the southern portion of Saudi Arabia. The strikes were one of the largest Houthi attacks on Saudi territory in years, and they could threaten oil infrastructure at a moment when Middle Eastern energy supplies are already under severe pressure.

According to Saudi authorities, Houthi attacks struck Jazan, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait. The Houthis said they used ballistic missiles and drones against facilities operated by Saudi Aramco in Jazan, Najran and Abha, while also targeting King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait. Fires erupted at several energy installations, forcing at least some operations to be temporarily suspended. Saudi officials said 73 people were wounded, including women and children.

The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia increase the risk of the current war in the Middle East expanding into a larger, more regional war. The Strait of Hormuz has already been severely disrupted by the broader conflict involving Iran and the United States, forcing Saudi Arabia to rely more heavily on alternative export routes toward the Red Sea. The United Nations estimates that Hormuz oil flows fell dramatically during 2026, while traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb and Saudi Red Sea routes became increasingly important.

Global energy prices reflected fears of an escalating conflict in the Middle East. Brent crude moved toward $99 a barrel, while U.S. crude climbed above $93 following the Saudi attacks. If the Houthis can repeatedly damage Saudi refineries, storage facilities or export infrastructure while simultaneously threatening shipping through the Red Sea, the result could be higher oil and fuel prices globally.

The most economically significant target appears to have been Jazan, on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast near the Yemeni border. The region contains the enormous Jazan Refinery Complex, which Saudi Aramco says was designed to process as much as 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The complex produces gasoline, ultra-low-sulfur diesel, benzene and other products and is linked to a massive power-generation facility. Reporting indicated that the Houthis also targeted oil and gas storage facilities and power infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia.

Exactly how much physical damage was inflicted remained unclear in the hours following the attacks. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed fires and temporary shutdowns but had not announced a specific loss of oil production or refining capacity. Aramco likewise had not provided a complete public damage assessment.

The distinction is important: damage to Jazan would primarily reduce refining capacity, rather than necessarily removing an equivalent amount of Saudi crude-oil production. But even temporary loss of part of a 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery can tighten supplies of diesel, gasoline and other refined fuels.

Saudi Arabia still possesses enormous underlying production capability. The International Energy Agency recently estimated Saudi sustainable crude-production capacity at about 12.1 million barrels per day, although actual output has been substantially lower amid the regional conflict and export disruptions. The latest strikes by themselves are unlikely to cripple Saudi Arabia’s overall ability to produce crude unless serious damage is discovered or future Houthi attacks reach major eastern oil fields, processing plants or pipelines.

Why are the Houthis attacking now? It is possible they have started operating more independently of Iran since the Iranian regime appears to be experiencing internal turmoil. If the Saudis respond heavily, the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen could escalate into full-scale warfare, which would likely add new threats and disruptions to the global energy market.