US President Donald Trump has warned Yemen's Houthi movement that he will not forget its latest attacks on Saudi Arabia, accusing the group of deliberately attempting to drive up global oil prices ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump criticised the Houthis for resuming hostilities after a prolonged period of relative silence, recalling previous US strikes against the group.
“The Houthis are behaving very badly,” Trump wrote, adding that the group had “emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran” and was “purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices.”
He ended the post with a warning: “Somebody should explain to them that I'm not running in the Elections, I've already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, but I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!”
Trump's remarks followed the Houthis' announcement that they would resume attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities in the coming days. The group claimed responsibility for strikes targeting Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran, an Aramco refinery in Riyadh and King Khalid International Airport.
The threats came after a missile attack on Tuesday night caused a fire at Aramco's office complex in Dhahran. Saudi authorities said the missile had been intercepted, while sources cited by Reuters reported that the fire spread across several floors of the complex.
Regional officials told the Associated Press that the upper floors of a building used by senior Aramco executives were damaged, with one official saying the chief executive's office was among the areas affected. However, sources told Reuters that Aramco's operations continued normally after the incident.
The escalation has also triggered retaliatory action by Saudi-led forces against sites in Yemen that the coalition said supplied the Houthis. Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry reported two deaths following an airstrike near Ras Isa port in Hodeida province, while Yemen Petroleum Company said facilities in Sanaa were hit.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have closed King Khalid International Airport until October 17 following repeated attacks. The Associated Press reported that multiple strikes on the airport in the preceding week had killed at least 18 people and injured more than 300.
The confrontation has heightened concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure. Further attacks affecting oil production, refining or exports could add uncertainty to global oil markets, although no operational disruption at Aramco was confirmed following the Dhahran incident.
Trump's post also raised the prospect of a wider US role in the conflict. The Associated Press reported that he was evaluating whether Washington should join Saudi-led strikes against the Houthis.
The Houthis' threat of further attacks, coupled with Trump's warning, leaves the prospect of additional escalation hanging over the region's energy infrastructure and oil market outlook.
Source: OilPrice.com, with reporting attributed to Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg.