Arab Coalition Foils Houthi Plan to Target Oil Tankers in the Red Sea

Royal Saudi Defense Forces (Archive-Asharq Al-Awsat)
Royal Saudi Defense Forces (Archive-Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab Coalition Foils Houthi Plan to Target Oil Tankers in the Red Sea

Royal Saudi Defense Forces (Archive-Asharq Al-Awsat)
Royal Saudi Defense Forces (Archive-Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen destroyed two explosive-laden Houthi boats on Wednesday thwarting an attack on giant oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The coalition said the attempt to launch the two boats was prepared from the Hodeidah governorate, and that the Houthi militia is escalating its hostile attacks to target energy sources.

The coalition also said that Saudi air defenses destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile that was launched to target Jazan.

The attacks come two days after the Royal Saudi Air Defense, and the Royal Saudi Air Force thwarted a ballistic missile launched to target Jazan, destroying and shooting down nine drones.

According to the Saudi-led coalition, drone strikes hit an Aramco petroleum products distribution terminal in Jeddah, leading to a fire in one of the tanks.

It said that the fire was controlled and did not result in any casualties.

“The terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia escalated its hostile, cross-border attacks towards the Kingdom last night and earlier this morning, targeting civilian objects and economic installations in a deliberate, systematic manner,” said the Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki al-Malki.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia said it would not bear responsibility for any global oil supply shortages after attacks on its oil facilities by the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Riyadh warned that Houthi repeated attacks on its oil facilities threatened the security of oil supplies and called on the international community to stand firmly against the Houthis.

The Kingdom stressed the importance of the international community to realize the gravity of Iran’s continued behavior of equipping the terrorist Houthi militias with ballistic missiles technology and advanced UAVs with which they target the Kingdom’s oil, gas, and refined products production sites.

Oil prices are witnessing a significant increase three weeks after the Russian-Ukrainian war, which caused tension in energy markets.

Industrial countries sought to urge the oil-producing governments to amend their production policies linked to the “OPEC Plus” alliance.



Crown Prince, Meloni Sign Agreement to Establish Saudi-Italian Strategic Partnership Council

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Italian Premier at the Winter Camp in AlUla. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Italian Premier at the Winter Camp in AlUla. SPA
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Crown Prince, Meloni Sign Agreement to Establish Saudi-Italian Strategic Partnership Council

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Italian Premier at the Winter Camp in AlUla. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Italian Premier at the Winter Camp in AlUla. SPA

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister, met on Sunday with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni at the Winter Camp in AlUla.

Upon her arrival, Meloni greeted princes and senior officials, while the Crown Prince greeted the official Italian delegation. The reception featured traditional Saudi folk performances to celebrate the occasion.

The Crown Prince welcomed the Italian Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia, who conveyed her delight in visiting the Kingdom and meeting with the Crown Prince.

During their meeting at the Bayt al-sha'ar, Meloni explored Saudi Arabia's rich heritage and culture. Discussions addressed relations between Saudi Arabia and Italy, opportunities to strengthen cooperation in various fields, and regional and international developments of mutual interest.

Following the discussions, the Crown Prince and Meloni signed an agreement to establish the Saudi-Italian Strategic Partnership Council.

Upon her arrival at AlUla International Airport, the Italian Prime Minister was welcomed by Governor of Madinah Region Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Ambassador to Italy Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Kassabi, and several other officials.