Oil tops $113 as Houthi attacks hit Saudi sites; US pulls diplomats

· Energy · Saudi Arabia · Iran

Brent crude rose above $113 a barrel, its highest since May, after attacks intensified on Saudi Arabia and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz threatened global supply. Two people were killed in a Houthi attack on an airport in eastern Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Aramco evacuated its headquarters, according to reports. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said seven ships were hit in the Hormuz Strait and warned the US of a wider response; Washington dismissed the claim as an attempt to raise oil prices before the midterms. The US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, with similar withdrawals reported from the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. Trump invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act for oil production and refining.

Why it matters：Oil above $113 and American drawdowns across the Gulf signal the risk of a wider regional war that would hit energy prices and inflation worldwide.

Key points

  • Brent topped $113, highest since May
  • Two killed in Houthi attack on a Saudi airport; Aramco evacuated headquarters
  • Trump invoked the Defense Production Act for oil production and refining

Sources (original reporting)

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