Saudi Arabia issued an all-clear over Riyadh on Saturday after residents heard booms and watched black smoke rise near King Khalid International Airport, following overnight danger alerts tied to an escalating Houthi campaign. A fire at a Saudi Aramco fuel tank near the airport has raised concerns about disruptions to a key energy hub, and prediction markets now show lower odds of a swift pipeline restart.
Saudi Arabia issued an all-clear over Riyadh on Saturday after a large plume of smoke was visible near the capital's main airport and booms were heard overnight, following alerts warning of danger in the city and nearby Al-Kharj. A fire erupted at a Saudi Aramco fuel tank near King Khalid International Airport, according to AFP, raising concerns about disruptions at one of the kingdom's key energy hubs. Neither Saudi Aramco nor the Saudi government's media office had commented on the cause or extent of the damage as of Saturday.
Alerts follow a summer of Houthi escalation
Saudi civil defence sent the danger alerts by phone overnight for Riyadh and Al-Kharj before issuing the all-clear Saturday morning, and a Reuters journalist in Riyadh's Olaya area heard booms before the all-clear was sent. Some alerts had gone out in Riyadh earlier this year after the start of the US-Iran war, but these were the first since the escalation with Yemen's Houthi group began in July. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks toward Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh that month, targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
Attacks threaten alternative oil routes
The strikes have created new threats to global oil supplies, putting at risk the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded.
Prediction markets trim restart odds
Confidence in a Saudi oil pipeline restart by September 22 has fallen, with odds dropping from 24% to 16.5%, while the probability of a restart by September 30 slid to 39.0% from 60% in the past day. Longer-term expectations held steadier, with an 80% likelihood assigned to a restart by October 31.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Friday the group had repelled unspecified hostile attempts in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia and vowing a response. The Houthis, who seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast this month, say the Saudi Air Force has conducted hundreds of airstrikes against them in recent days. The UN Security Council said Friday it "condemned in the strongest terms continued Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", citing harm to civilian and energy infrastructure that has injured civilians, including women and children.
Sources: Investing.com, Crypto Briefing
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