Houthis hit Saudi again where it hurts, strike East-West pipeline as Iran demands Trump's 'surrender' | GRAVITAS

Saudi Arabia's critical oil infrastructure came under attack as the Iran war continued to escalate, with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeting the kingdom's East-West pipeline. The attack triggered emergency alerts on residents' mobile phones, instructing them to take shelter amid an aerial threat. The strike resulted in a fire along the pipeline, which was subsequently extinguished by emergency response teams. According to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy, no injuries or fatalities were reported, and pipeline operations remained unaffected.

But why is this attack significant?

With the Strait of Hormuz virtually closed, Saudi Arabia has been relying on its East-West pipeline to reroute approximately four million barrels of oil per day to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast. This accounts for nearly four per cent of the world's oil supply, making the pipeline a crucial alternative export route amid disruptions to regional shipping.

Notably, drone attacks by the Houthis had previously forced Saudi Arabia to temporarily shut down the pipeline for several days in September. Meanwhile, the deputy governor of Riyadh inspected an Aramco administrative building in the Saudi capital that was damaged in an attack by the Iran-backed group. Condemning the targeting of civilian facilities, he directed authorities to provide assistance to Aramco employees affected by the attack. The Houthis, meanwhile, released footage purportedly showing the aftermath of an alleged Saudi strike on a textile factory in Yemen's Hodeidah province. The visuals showed a heavily damaged concrete structure, with large sections of its walls reduced to rubble.

The conflict also appears to be spreading deeper into Yemen. An explosion lit up the night sky in Sanaa as the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes on the Al-Muzafir gas station and a building belonging to Yemen's state oil company. Footage released by the Iran-backed group showed destruction at the gas facility. The Houthis claimed that one person was killed and three others were wounded in the attack. The group also shared visuals showing extensive damage to the state oil company's building in Sanaa, with debris scattered across the premises.

As the war continues unabated, schools in Riyadh are set to return to online classes as part of ongoing precautionary measures. Meanwhile, attention is also turning towards Washington and whether US President Donald Trump is recalibrating his approach to the Iran war.

Is Trump backing down, at least marginally, following the political backlash over the Republican Party's performance in the US midterm elections? Following his meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister, Trump claimed there was positive momentum towards ending the war. However, he simultaneously reiterated that the United States remained 'locked and loaded' and prepared to take military action against Iran if necessary. Tehran, for its part, is showing little indication of backing down.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei rejected claims of progress in negotiations and accused Washington of behaving like a 'desperate gambler'. He also called on the United States to surrender and fulfil the seven conditions that Iran has repeatedly demanded. Back home, the Trump administration is facing another political challenge, with Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie introducing eight articles of impeachment against US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

However, Trump continues to stand firmly behind Hegseth. The US President praised the defence chief, crediting him with what he described as victories in the wars involving Venezuela and Iran. Even as Trump faces mounting criticism over the prolonged Iran conflict, Hegseth has defended the administration's military decisions.

In a statement backing the President's actions, Hegseth said: “So the choice was, don't act and wish it away or take a bold move, which the president did with Midnight Hammer, we've done that with Epic Fury and I think it was the right step. History will judge him very kindly. And the military delivers.” As attacks on critical infrastructure continue and diplomatic efforts remain uncertain, the conflict is increasingly testing the security of the wider region as well as the political standing of the Trump administration.