Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The Houthis called Saudi oil sites and airports legitimate targets and warned the US against joining Saudi strikes, as Brent closed at $106.65 and the airport death toll climbed.
Yemen's Houthi movement told workers at Saudi oil facilities and airports on Monday, October 12, to stay away from those sites, calling them "legitimate targets." Houthi political bureau member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti gave the warning to AFP. He also said the group would deliver a "swift and painful" response against US interests in the region if Washington joins Saudi Arabia's strikes in Yemen. These are threats, not proven capabilities, but they follow a weekend of deadly strikes on Saudi airports.
The toll from those strikes is still moving. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority (GACA) put Saturday's death toll at the Riyadh airport at 12, while AP and Reuters reported 13. One of the dead was an American, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed. Saudi authorities told AP that a second strike on Sunday killed one more person and wounded 11. CBS counts 14 dead over the weekend. AP reports at least 20 killed at Saudi airports over the past week. Until hospital records settle it, the honest range is 14 to more than 20 dead. These figures are as of Monday and are expected to change.
Most other details rest on claims from the two sides. The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down two ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushait and a third aimed at Riyadh on Monday. The Houthis claimed another strike on the Riyadh airport Monday night. They have also claimed a hit on an Aramco refinery at Rabigh, which Saudi authorities have not confirmed. Two regional officials told AP the Houthis fired drones first to clear a path for cruise and ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia is investigating why its air defenses failed. No satellite imagery of the damage had been published by Monday. Drop Site News had not covered the strikes, so there was no independent account to set beside the official ones.
Washington has not decided whether to join the fight. President Trump said Saturday the US "may" join Saudi strikes. On Monday he said the Houthis are "misbehaving very badly." AP reports the US has so far held off on direct strikes. Al Jazeera, citing US media reports, says the US is already sharing intelligence and helping with targeting. The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed that. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman called the events of recent weeks "serious," and CBS reports he promised an "equally serious" response. Riyadh's main airport remains closed, and Fox News reports the shutdown now runs through October 17.
Oil markets heard the threat. Brent crude closed Monday at $106.65 a barrel, its highest since mid-September, Reuters reported. That is a moving number, and it is expected to swing with each new attack. Goldman Sachs estimates that just over $20 of the price is a war risk premium. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial traffic. Iran's Revolutionary Guard also claims it struck three more tankers there over the weekend, a claim not yet independently confirmed.
For an American household, the first effect is likely at the gas pump. AAA put the national average at $4.36 a gallon on October 8, the highest ever for this time of year. Pump prices often trail crude by a week or two, so this jump may not reach your station until later this month. Keep your tank above half so a price spike or a local shortage does not catch you on empty. Set aside a small fuel and grocery cushion in the budget now, while prices are still catching up. A plan for economic preparedness helps when fuel and food climb together.
The threat to US interests is the other line to watch. Al Bukhaiti did not say which US interests he meant, but the US has troops, bases and ships across the region. If someone in your family serves or works in the Gulf, confirm how their unit or employer reaches families in an emergency. Knowing the real warning signs of World War 3 helps you respond to facts instead of headlines.
Where it stands now: the US has not announced a decision, the casualty count is unsettled, and the Rabigh refinery claim is unconfirmed. Check your fuel level and your emergency budget this week. Be Prepared Not Scared!
