Yemeni's Houthis have said they have attacked oil pumping stations on the strategic Saudi East-West oil pipeline, as well as King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm the claims of damage to oil infrastructure.
The group's military spokesman, Yahya Sari, said a ballistic missile was fired at the airport and the pumping stations were attacked with drones. The Saudi Civil Defense earlier reported that an early warning system in Riyadh had been activated.
“A ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh was intercepted“, said Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki.The coalition also said it had destroyed two ballistic missile launch sites in Sanaa. It said one of them was used to launch the missile at the Saudi capital. There was no independent confirmation of damage to pumping stations.
The East-Red Sea Oil Link
The “East-West“ pipeline is operated by the state-owned company “Saudi Aramco“ and is approximately 1,200 kilometers long. It connects the Abqaiq region in the eastern part of the kingdom with Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
The route carries crude oil from production and processing facilities in the east to refineries and export terminals on the west coast. The route is strategically important because it allows oil to be transported overland, without relying on sea shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The new allegations come against the backdrop of a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities. The Houthis are backed by Iran, while Saudi Arabia leads the coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government.
Sources: reuters.com, aa.com.tr, internazionale.it