Trump: Houthis Targeting Saudi to Sway Oil Before Midterms — SkimNews
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- Trump accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Truth Social of targeting Saudi Arabia to disrupt oil markets before the November 3 midterms, writing 'the Houthis are behaving very badly' and warning there would be consequences after the polls.
- Houthis pounded Saudi targets including Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, forcing it to shut until October 17 and disrupting flights, according to the article.
- Trump suggested he might ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to back Saudi Arabia, telling reporters 'President Erdogan, I think, would do as I ask,' as Turkey and Saudi Arabia move toward ratifying a summer defense pact.
- The Saudi-led coalition struck the Sabah central station of the Yemen Petroleum Company on the outskirts of Sanaa, though the company said the site held no petroleum stocks and supply chains were unaffected.
- Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree named Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters and a Riyadh oil refinery as potential retaliation targets, and warned oil industry workers to stay away from facilities at risk of attack.
- Oil prices eased on Tuesday despite the escalation: Brent crude fell 67 cents (0.6%) to $105.98/barrel and US WTI held at $93.74/barrel, as hopes of a US-Russia diesel agreement offset supply concerns.
Why it matters: Houthi threats to Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters and a Riyadh refinery turn this from a Yemen border fight into a direct risk against the world's spare oil capacity. Trump frames the attacks as Iranian election interference, but the actual escalation — the airport closure through October 17, named threats to Aramco, and coalition strikes on Sanaa — is already underway regardless of November 3.
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