A US official said Iran launched missiles targeting the Yanbu port on the Red Sea, a key Saudi oil export terminal, in the first Iranian missile attack on Saudi territory in four months. The official noted the attack aims to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and squeeze Saudi oil exports. Earlier today, sirens were reported near Yanbu, and a ballistic missile strike on a US base in Saudi Arabia was confirmed.
A US official reported that Iran's missile attack on Saudi Arabia specifically targeted the Yanbu port on the Red Sea, a key terminal for Saudi oil exports. The official stated that the attack marks the first Iranian missile strike on Saudi territory in four months and aims to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and squeeze Saudi oil exports. This development adds specificity to earlier reports of sirens near Yanbu.
The confirmation builds on a sequence of reports from earlier today. At 02:11 Jerusalem, a US official confirmed a ballistic missile strike on an American base in Saudi Arabia. By 03:42, additional Iranian missile launches toward Arab states were reported. At 04:57, another US official confirmed the strike on the US base. At 10:24, sirens were reported in Al-Kharj and near the Yanbu port, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated channel Abu Ali Express. The current report aligns with those sirens, identifying the port as the target. The source of the information has evolved from single unverified reports to multiple US official confirmations.
The attack is part of a wider regional escalation. As The Zioneer reported on Jul 15, Iran launched missiles at US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and struck a US base in Jordan. The targeting of Yanbu represents a strategic shift to pressure Saudi oil exports via the Red Sea, circumventing the Strait of Hormuz.
No casualties or damage have been reported from the Yanbu area. The US official's account is based on a single source and remains unverified by independent reports.
6 developments
- DevelopingAbu Ali Express: Iran launched missiles at Saudi Arabia overnight, sirens heard in two locations
- StrongIran launches ballistic missiles at ships in Strait of Hormuz
- ConfirmedIran launches multiple cruise missiles from Bandar Abbas toward Gulf waters
- DevelopingIranian reports: Missiles launched from Sirik toward US destroyers in Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake