Oil
Trump accuses Houthis of targeting Saudi energy infrastructure
US President Donald Trump has blamed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia for driving up oil prices ahead of midterm elections.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump accused Houthi forces of deliberately raising oil prices through recent strikes.
- Attacks on King Khalid International Airport resulted in multiple casualties and facility closures.
- Trump suggested potential diplomatic involvement from Turkey but provided no specific details.
What happened
According to The Jerusalem Post, US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Yemen's Houthi movement is deliberately attempting to inflate oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections. Trump asserted that the group resumed offensive operations at the instruction of Iran following a brief period of calm.
The remarks followed multiple strikes directed at Saudi Arabia, including an assault on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that caused over 300 injuries and 13 deaths, leading to a temporary shutdown of the facility. The ongoing regional conflict has increasingly threatened commercial transit within the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Why it matters
Escalating hostilities in the region raise significant risks for international petroleum transport and global energy markets. With fuel exports comprising 78.7 percent of merchandise exports for Saudi Arabia according to 2025 World Bank figures, disruptions to infrastructure directly affect broader commodity economics. Brent spot prices stood at 125.44 US dollars per barrel on October 6, 2026, according to US EIA data, as markets react to ongoing security concerns.
What comes next
Trump declined to confirm whether Washington would initiate military actions against the faction. However, the American leader mentioned he might approach Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to offer diplomatic support for Saudi interests, though the exact nature of any prospective intervention remains unconfirmed.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Crude benchmarks move budgets, currencies and inflation in producer and importer countries alike. For economies such as Nigeria, where fuels dominate exports, production and refining decisions move the whole economy.
78.7% of Saudi Arabia’s merchandise exports were fuels in 2025Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
