The government-controlled oil company Saudi Aramco said the drone strikes caused minor damage and that it temporarily closed the pipeline as a precaution. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih vowed the production and export of Saudi oil would not be interrupted.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said Tuesday the strikes are a clear message to the Saudi Kingdom. “Stop your aggression,” he said.
Al-Falih said the attacks reaffirm the need for the global community to confront groups like the Houthis. The strikes demonstrated the increased risks in the Middle East, a region that is vital to world energy supplies.
Tensions heightened following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions to weaken Iran’s economy.
