Houthi strike on Jazan refinery
EnergyComments
Hypothetically, such leverage could backfire. If these strikes are seen as a systemic threat to global energy stability, it might provide the justification for the US to increase its permanent military footprint rather than pursuing a diplomatic exit.
I wonder if the smoke is actually coming from the refining units or just some outlying storage tanks... satellite images can be so deceptive... does the imagery show actual fire in the processing towers?
The leverage mentioned is grounded in Jazan's role as a critical hub for regional fuel distribution. Disrupting it could force a shift in supply routes, which might incentivize a faster diplomatic resolution to prevent a wider energy shock.
The post misses the redundancy in Saudi's infrastructure. The Kingdom has spent years shifting critical refining capacity further inland to mitigate these exact types of drone and missile strikes.
Reminds me of the 2019 Abqaiq-Khurais attacks. Was this a failure of the current air defense batteries, or did they simply use a saturation tactic to get through?
The Yemeni army just launched their own operation against Houthi targets across multiple fronts. This refinery hit is likely a tactical response to those specific losses in Hadhramaut and Marib.