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.



Trump Arrives in Qatar after Historic Riyadh Visit

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Arrives in Qatar after Historic Riyadh Visit

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump arrived in Doha on Wednesday on the second leg of his Gulf tour that he started in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

He was welcomed upon his arrival by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Meeting later at the Royal Palace in Doha, Trump and Sheikh Tamim signed economic and defense agreements.

The first had Qatar buying airplanes from Boeing, the American aerospace company whose chief executive attended the event. Trump said it was the largest order of jets in the company history, worth over $200 billion.

Next up was a defense deal and the purchase of military drones.

The final cooperation agreement was signed by Trump and Al Thani themselves.

Before departing to Doha, Trump sat down for a historic meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh.

Trump said the rapprochement with Syria came at the urging of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” said Trump, who announced he'll move to lift sanctions on Syria to give the country “a chance at peace.”