Six Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Yanbu and Taif were intercepted on Sep. 24, according to Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition. Damage and casualties are unknown. Sirens sounded across several cities, Jeddah and Mecca among them, before authorities declared the danger over. The Houthis claimed a separate barrage of "dozens" of missiles and drones on Jazan province. AP calls it one of the group's largest cross-border strikes since fighting with Saudi Arabia flared again this month.
Yanbu is the main Saudi export outlet that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The East-West pipeline restarted Sep. 22, but tanker loadings there have not. Aramco told European refiners it is still building a "critical mass" of crude at the terminal, Reuters reported. Kpler shows two vessels scheduled for Sep. 23 did not load, with six more (four Aframaxes, a Suezmax and a VLCC) due Sep. 24-27.
The salvo lands inside that loading window. Intercepted or not, it puts a question to owners and underwriters: should a hull sit alongside at Yanbu this week?
Brent settled $106.60 Thursday, up 3.4%.
Watch: whether any of the six scheduled tankers load by Sep. 27, and whether Riyadh reports damage at Yanbu.