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

Yemen's Houthi militants launched attacks on Saudi oil installations in two ports on the Red Sea coast, but the US held back from launching air strikes on Iran for the first time in two weeks.

The Houthi military spokesperson claimed that the group had successfully struck sites belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu. Video shared on social media showed a large column of smoke rising from the direction of the Aramco refinery in Jizan, where two Asia-based trading sources said there was potential damage to fuel and oil storage sites.

A US-made Patriot battery operated by Greek military personnel intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at oil installations in Yanbu. This port is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil export terminal, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump said that talks were underway to negotiate an end to the conflict between the US and Iran. However, he also repeated that Tehran was not yet ready for a deal.