Saudi Arabia's coalition said it intercepted Houthi drones and missiles aimed at Riyadh, Khamis Mushait and the southern region. The attacks, along with concerns about possible fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, helped push Brent crude to a six-month high on Friday.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted drones and missiles headed for several cities, including Riyadh, on Sunday. The Iran-aligned Houthis fired them, according to the coalition.
Coalition details the interceptions
The Saudi Press Agency quoted coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki as saying two drones and a ballistic missile were intercepted and destroyed as they headed toward Riyadh. He also said 10 ballistic missiles launched toward the southern region were intercepted, along with a cruise missile headed for Khamis Mushait.
Houthis gave a different account. They said in a Telegram post that they carried out seven military operations using ballistic missiles and drones. The Houthis said targets included Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Saudi Aramco's facilities in Yanbu.
King Khalid International Airport said it was resuming operations Sunday, with Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for overseas routes. It had suspended operations on Oct. 10 after a strike that killed at least 13 people and injured around 300 others. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Brent crude reaches a six-month high
Investors are also watching Washington. Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. was not negotiating with Iran and that something would happen "fairly soon", while U.S. officials told The New York Times the U.S. and Israel have plans for fresh strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. The U.S. also ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last week.
Rising tensions and worries about supply disruptions helped push oil higher. Brent futures gained 3.1% to close at $116.72 a barrel, the highest international benchmark settlement since April 29. Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate added 3.8% to settle at $103.27 a barrel.
Brent rose 6.2% for the week, its third consecutive week of gains, while WTI advanced 2.3%.
Source: CNBC
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