Saudi Official: Attack by Houthis ‘Cowardly Sabotage’

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday launched an attack on an oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia, which caused a small fire but did not affect overall production. A Houthi spokesperson confirmed that 10 drones targeted the Shaybah oil field, in what he claimed was the “biggest attack in the depths” of the Muslim kingdom. The oil field is reportedly located more than 600 miles from Houthi-controlled territory in northwest Yemen. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in Yemen four-and-a-half years ago after the Houthis overtook the capital Sana’a and ousted the internationally recognized government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is currently living in exile in Riyadh. Since then, the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on Saudi assets and targeted civilian infrastructure in the kingdom using ballistic missiles that many analysts believe were provided by Tehran. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister described the latest incident as “cowardly sabotage” and a “threat to the global economy.”