Houthi Rebels Strike Aramco Yanbu Facility With Dozens of Drones and Missiles as U.S. Gas Hits $4.44
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 16
Houthi Rebels Strike Aramco Yanbu Facility With Dozens of Drones and Missiles as U.S. Gas Hits $4.44
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 16
Summary
Dozens of ballistic missiles and drones hit Saudi Aramco’s Yanbu facility on Wednesday, the Houthis said, with NASA fire data detecting a flare over the Red Sea site as analysts warned the attack could deepen fuel-market disruption.
Satellite and imagery reviews also showed heavy damage to Saudi Arabia’s 745-mile East-West pipeline and at least two pumping stations, with repair specialists estimating outages could last one to two months rather than days.
U.S. pump prices are already climbing fast: regular gasoline averaged $4.44 nationally and diesel $6.40, while Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan saw overnight gasoline jumps of 22 to 25 cents a gallon.
The latest strike adds to pressure from reduced Strait of Hormuz flows, refinery damage and a Midwest outage at ExxonMobil’s Joliet plant, which normally produces 11 million gallons of fuel a day.
Analysts say the attacks expose Saudi infrastructure vulnerabilities and could keep energy prices elevated well past the midterm elections, even as Washington weighs options such as a diesel export ban.
If repairs to Saudi Arabia's crucial oil bypass take months, can global supply chains survive the impending fuel shock?
With a vital Middle East pipeline crippled, how high will diesel prices climb before everyday consumer goods become unaffordable?
Saudi Oil Exports Plunge 60% After Houthi Attacks: Global Market Turmoil and Humanitarian Fallout in 2026
Overview
In July 2026, after coalition airstrikes on Hodeida and Kamaran island, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched major drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, forcing the shutdown of the Jazan refinery. The crisis escalated in September when drones from Iraq struck the East-West Pipeline, leading to its shutdown and cutting off Saudi Arabia’s main export route. As a result, Saudi oil exports plummeted, global oil prices soared, and fuel costs spiked in the US and UK. The conflict reignited fighting in Yemen, causing over 100,000 people to be displaced, with thousands fleeing to Djibouti and overwhelming local humanitarian resources.