Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Sites as US Holds Back on Iran Airstrikes

The Houthi militants in Yemen have targeted Saudi oil installations at two ports on the Red Sea coast, but the US has held back from launching air strikes on Iran for the first time in two weeks.

The attack on Saturday (July 25) was aimed at sites belonging to Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu, with video shared on social media showing a large column of smoke rising from the direction of the Aramco refinery in Jizan. Two Asia-based trading sources confirmed potential damage to fuel and oil storage sites at Jizan.

The US had been conducting air strikes against Iran for 13 nights in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but President Donald Trump has apparently directed the military not to conduct new strikes. This comes as the US and Iran are reportedly negotiating an end to their conflict.