Saudi Arabia Raises Security Alerts as Houthi Attacks Threaten Oil Routes

Saudi Arabia issued widespread security alerts on Tuesday, including in Mecca and Jeddah, as attacks by Iran-aligned groups intensified and raised fresh concerns over Middle East oil supplies and Red Sea shipping.

The warnings were later lifted, with Saudi authorities providing no immediate indication that incoming missiles or drones had struck their targets. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest alerts. The warning in Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest sites, was the city's first during the current conflict.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have announced several attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past week. The group said strikes on a Saudi air base on Monday were retaliation for airstrikes targeting Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition said 13 civilians were wounded in Monday’s attacks.

Saudi Arabia has separately blamed an Iran-aligned Iraqi group for Friday’s attack on the 1,200-kilometer East-West Pipeline, a crucial route carrying oil from Gulf production areas to the Red Sea. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Tuesday that oil flows through the pipeline could resume within days.

The disruption has increased pressure on global energy markets because the pipeline has become a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz during the regional conflict. Traders estimate that an extended shutdown could affect as much as 4% of global oil supply.

Brent crude futures climbed above $108 per barrel on Tuesday, while U.S. retail diesel prices reached a record of nearly $6.27 per gallon.

Meanwhile, Houthi forces have expanded along Yemen’s western coastline, reportedly gaining effective control of most of the Red Sea coast and strengthening their presence near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The strategic waterway is critical for international shipping between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday, where both leaders emphasized protecting navigation through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb. The United Nations Security Council was also expected to discuss the deteriorating security situation.