Houthi Strikes Target Saudi Airport and Oil Refinery Amid Rising Tensions
Loud explosions rocked northern Riyadh on Monday, shaking residential buildings near King Khalid International Airport. The blasts coincided with intensified military operations by Saudi forces and their Yemeni government allies against Iran-backed Houthi forces. Residents reported their windows rattling from the detonations, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for coordinated strikes targeting the airport, an Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh, and other key locations in Saudi Arabia.
The escalated attacks pushed Brent crude oil prices to hover around $100 a barrel. Global energy markets reacted to intensifying control battles over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and conflicting reports concerning fresh strikes on a vital Saudi oil pipeline. Despite heightened security risks, maritime tracking firm Kpler reported that Middle Eastern crude exports, excluding Iranian shipments, surpassed pre-war levels in September, largely due to alternative transit corridors via the Red Sea.
In unrelated news, an explosion was heard near Qeshm Island in southern Iran, though no details on the cause or damage were immediately available. Additionally, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned France's ambassador to protest the handling of student demonstrations over school conditions, accusing French police of excessive force and human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, three Iranian men faced trial in the UK over alleged spying activities targeting critics of Tehran. Prosecutors accused Mustafa Sepahvand, Farhad Manesh, and Shapour Nouri of gathering intelligence on journalists and others considered opponents of the Iranian government. The defendants denied the charges, with the trial expected to last about six weeks.
British counter-terrorism police also arrested a 22-year-old man in London in connection with an investigation near RAF Fairford. The man was detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, marking the seventh arrest in the ongoing probe.