Trump accuses the Houthis of pushing up oil prices before the Nov. 3 midterms; a Houthi official threatens U.S. interests if America joins the fight.
Saudi-led coalition jets struck Houthi-held oil facilities and a key fuel depot in Yemen, payback for the Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid airport. The Houthis are the Iran-backed rebel group that holds much of Yemen. That Saturday, Oct. 10 strike killed at least 13, including an American, and injured more than 300, per AP; a second strike on Sunday, Oct. 11 killed one more, bringing the airport toll to at least 14. Houthi attacks kept coming.
Trump. On Truth Social, he accused the Houthis of trying to drive up oil prices before the midterms (the congressional elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3): "I'm not running in the Elections... but I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!" He is not on the ballot but stays president after the vote. Brent, the global benchmark, settled at $105.69 a barrel on Tuesday, Oct. 13, a day after its highest close since Sept. 15; U.S. crude settled at $94.14, per Reuters.
The Houthis. An official told AFP that if the U.S. joins, "there will be a swift and painful response targeting the US and all its interests in the region."
Still open. The week's death toll. CBS counts at least 20 killed in Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one American; NBC counts at least 14.
Catch up
- Sept. 15 — Houthis seized two more Red Sea islands; drone damage put Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, carrying about 4 million barrels a day, out for weeks.
- Sept. 16–17 — Aramco halted loadings at Yanbu, its last open terminal; supertanker hire topped $1 million a day and U.S. crude hit $107.02.
- Sept. 19 — Trump declined a prepared U.S. air campaign against the Houthis, giving the Saudis intelligence and targeting data instead.
- Sept. 20–21 — Houthi missiles burned a fuel depot near Riyadh's airport; Saudi Arabia intercepted another missile aimed at the capital.
- Sept. 23 — Saudi Arabia tested the East-West pipeline for a restart; oil fell below $98.
- Oct. 10–11 — Strikes on Riyadh's airport killed at least 14, including an American; Trump said the U.S. "may" join Saudi strikes.
- Oct. 12 — A new drone-and-cruise-missile attack hit; Saudi Arabia began investigating its air-defense failure and closed the airport until Oct. 17.
14 earlier issues
- Houthi missiles and drones hit 4 Saudi cities, wounding 73 and halting Aramco's 400,000-barrel-a-day Jazan refinery
- Houthis capture Yemen's Mokha from Saudi-backed forces 46 miles from Bab el-Mandeb
- UpdateHouthi forces captured Mokha and Perim island in the 28-kilometer Bab el-Mandeb strait.
- UpdateA day after the Bab el-Mandeb capture, maritime monitors have recorded no new transit halts
- UpdateSaudi Arabia shuts Hormuz-bypass pipeline, oil rises more than $3 with 4% of supply at risk
- UpdateHouthis seize two more Red Sea islands as Saudi pipeline faces 3-to-5-week outage
- UpdateSaudi Arabia suspends loadings at its last open oil terminal; September cargoes cancelled
- Attacks on Saudi export pipeline push WTI crude to $107.02 a barrel, a 30-day high
- UpdateHouthi missiles hit Riyadh, burning a fuel depot near King Khalid airport
- UpdateSaudi Arabia says it intercepted a Houthi missile aimed at Riyadh
- UpdateTrump declined a prepared U.S. air campaign against the Houthis, giving Saudi Arabia intelligence and targeting data instead
- UpdateSaudi Arabia tested its shut east-west pipeline for a restart as oil fell below $98
- UpdateStrike on Riyadh airport kills 12, including an American; Trump says the U.S. "may" join Saudi strikes on the Houthis
- UpdateRiyadh airport hit again Sunday, Oct. 11, killing one; Saturday's strike toll rises to at least 13, including an American
BackgroundWhat the U.S. has already sold Saudi Arabia to fight with
- Saudi Arabia agreed earlier this year to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the U.S. for $9 billion (NBC); how many have been delivered is not public.
- Saudi Arabia took 12% of all U.S. arms exports from 2021 to 2025 (NBC).