ATHENS/WASHINGTON – Air defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles targeting Saudi Arabian oil facilities in Yanbu on Saturday, while the United States said its military disabled another merchant vessel that allegedly attempted to breach its naval blockade of Iranian ports, underscoring the growing risk of a wider regional conflict.
According to Greek security sources cited by Reuters, the missiles were launched from Yemen and were intercepted before reaching oil refineries in Yanbu, a key Red Sea energy hub. Saudi civil defense authorities issued emergency alerts for Yanbu before later announcing that the threat had passed. A separate warning was also issued for the southern port city of Jizan near the Yemeni border. No immediate casualties or damage were reported.
The Greek sources said the interception was carried out using a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system operated by Greek military personnel deployed in Saudi Arabia under a bilateral defense agreement aimed at protecting the kingdom’s critical energy infrastructure.
The attempted missile strike came days after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, including the tanker Encelia, which Saudi authorities said caught fire but whose crew was safely evacuated. The Houthis have said the attacks were part of a maritime blockade targeting Saudi shipping.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it fired on another merchant vessel that repeatedly attempted to violate its blockade of Iranian ports. According to U.S. Central Command, the vessel ignored multiple warnings before American forces disabled it by firing into its engine room. Officials said it was the second commercial ship disabled since the United States reimposed the blockade, and they emphasized that measures were taken to avoid harm to the crew.
The incidents occurred as tensions between the United States and Iran remained high following days of military exchanges across the region. Washington has accused Tehran and its allied groups of threatening international shipping and regional security, while Iran has denounced U.S. military operations and the blockade as unlawful.
Saudi Arabia has also resumed military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after the attacks on its tankers, raising concerns that the conflict could further expand beyond the Strait of Hormuz into the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, two of the world’s most strategically important maritime trade routes.
Analysts warn that continued attacks on oil infrastructure and commercial shipping could disrupt global energy supplies and place additional upward pressure on crude oil prices, while increasing the risk of broader military confrontation across the Middle East.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
