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.



Saudi Arabia Praises Jordan for Thwarting Plots to Undermine its Security

Jordanian Government spokesperson Mohammad Al Momani speaks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (JTV/Handout via Reuters)
Jordanian Government spokesperson Mohammad Al Momani speaks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (JTV/Handout via Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Praises Jordan for Thwarting Plots to Undermine its Security

Jordanian Government spokesperson Mohammad Al Momani speaks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (JTV/Handout via Reuters)
Jordanian Government spokesperson Mohammad Al Momani speaks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (JTV/Handout via Reuters)

The Saudi Foreign Ministry praised on Wednesday the measures Jordan has taken to thwart plots aimed at undermining its security.

The Kingdom expressed its support for the steps the Jordanian government will take to consolidate its security.

Saudi Arabia stands in solidarity with Jordan against anything that may harm its security and stability, added the ministry.

Jordan arrested 16 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood who were trained and financed in Lebanon and had plotted attacks on targets inside the kingdom involving rockets and drones, authorities said on Tuesday.

The authorities said at least one rocket was ready to be launched as part of an operation that had been under surveillance by security forces since 2021.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm in Jordan the Islamic Action Front became the largest political grouping in the parliament after last September's parliamentary elections, although most seats are still held by government supporters.

Security forces found a rocket manufacturing facility alongside a drone factory, according to a statement by the General Intelligence Department released on state media.

"The plot aimed at harming national security, sowing chaos and causing material destruction inside the kingdom," the statement said.

The suspects were referred to the state security court for trial.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told his Jordanian counterpart in a phone call his country was ready to cooperate with Jordanian authorities, shortly after suspects shown in a video aired by Amman said they had been trained in Lebanon.