Iranian-backed Houthis threaten to attack Aramco: ‘Wider scope than 2019 attack’

MARCH 2, 2021 11:44

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who released footage of their ballistic missiles targeted Saudi Arabia’s capital over the weekend, have warned Saudi Arabia against escalation in the western and northern frontlines of Yemen. They say they will strike at Saudi Arabia’s Aramco if Saudi Arabia or UAE “fighters or supporters” commit “aggression” in certain areas.

The Houthis pointed to the “Safer oil fields”, as an example. It was not clear where this red line was or what specific infrastructure they don’t want targeted.

The reports, which appeared in numerous media in Iran and media linked to the Houthis quoted several reports which warned Riyadh that future Houthi attacks will for “far beyond the recent ‘5th deterrence balance’ that they have achieved. The Houthis using drones and missiles have targeted Aramco facilities before over the last several years.

A massive Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq in September 2019 also struck at Aramco.

It appears the Safer reference is to an area that was once at the heart of the battle for Marib in 2015. Today the Houthis are marching on Marib again. The Biden administration has warned them against attacks on Riyadh and urged them to stop the offensive but the Biden administration also took them off a terror list.

In 2015 The National noted that the Saudi-led Coalition “began moving supplies to Marib in March, using land routes from Saudi Arabia through Hadramout and Shabwa provinces. Last month, coalition forces started flying more reinforcements to Marib using a small airport in the tiny town of Safer, 60km east of Marib city. Loyalist military sources said further reinforcements including tanks, armoured vehicles, rocket launchers and Apache helicopters arrived last week.”

The area was a base for the “Safer Exploration and Production Operations Company and other foreign companies working in Yemen’s vital energy sector. The main gas pipeline south also runs through the town, which is controlled by the pro-Hadi military commander Abdullah Al Shaddadi.