Oil prices climbed Wednesday after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed attacks on airports and a military installation in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about the kingdom's exposure to an expanding conflict as regional crude shipments recover.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 1.16% to $101.75 a barrel at 8:40 a.m. Eastern time. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, gained almost 1% to trade above $90.
The Iran-backed Houthis said they targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha Airport and an air base at Khamis Mushait with drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the claims, and there were no independent reports of damage or casualties from the latest alleged attacks.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 noted a brief disruption to flights at the Riyadh airport. No damage was reported at the facility, leaving the extent and outcome of the claimed operation unclear.
The uncertainty comes at a sensitive moment for energy supplies. Saudi Arabia has restored flows through its East-West Pipeline to nearly 6 million barrels a day, carrying crude to the Red Sea export hub of Yanbu as Middle Eastern exports regain momentum.
Wednesday's price increase accompanied concerns about further disruption, without a confirmed loss of oil supplies from the latest claimed strikes. A successful attack reaching Riyadh would extend the recent escalation well beyond the southwestern Saudi areas closer to Yemen.
Earlier attacks had already caused injuries. Saudi Arabia's aviation authority said strikes on airports in Jazan and Najran on Monday evening wounded three people and caused limited damage.
The cross-border escalation coincides with a major offensive by Yemen's internationally recognized government, supported by Saudi airstrikes, to recover territory from the Houthis. Tens of thousands of ground troops are participating in the campaign.
The Saudi-backed alliance recently said it had recaptured territory near the Bab el-Mandeb strait that the Houthis seized a month earlier. The waterway carries about 12% of the world's oil, according to the supplied reporting, making control of its surrounding territory significant for energy shipping.
The Houthis declared an embargo on Saudi oil earlier this year and have sought to block Saudi vessels from passing through the strait. Their campaign has also included attacks on facilities inside the kingdom.
Riyadh has sought material assistance from Washington for the counteroffensive. The United States has so far limited its involvement to intelligence and targeting support.
Yemen's presidential council chief, Rashad al-Alimi, announced a general mobilization in late September and offered amnesty to Houthi fighters who defect. He said operations would not concentrate on densely populated Houthi-held areas such as Sanaa and Hodeida, while urging civilians to avoid Houthi positions and prevent children from being recruited.
Fighting has also been reported in Dhubab, south of the port city of Mokha, which the Houthis seized last month. The United Nations estimates that the latest fighting has killed about 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
