Saudi Arabia reported damage to an Aramco building in Dhahran and four people wounded in Riyadh on Wednesday, after the kingdom intercepted Houthi missiles targeting the capital. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
IMF chief warns Saudi attacks could have global economic impact
The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that recent attacks on Saudi Arabia could impact people “everywhere”, as energy costs rise globally and multiple conflicts rage in the crude-rich region.
“The Saudi economy is important for the region and the world, and in that sense, these developments have potentially negative spillovers for everybody, everywhere,” Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said at a news conference during the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Bangkok.
Iran deploys new tactics to target ships in Strait of Hormuz
Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters.
Tehran has tried to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It has restricted passage through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war, in an effort to gain leverage over Washington.
Its threats and attacks have severely curtailed traffic through the strait, driving up oil prices, though some oil has continued to transit.
The two officials declined to provide details of the new strategy, but one said that Iran had started using different offensive tactics against vessels it considered in violation of its restrictions about 10 days ago, adding that this had led to an increase in attacks on such ships.
Saudi Arabia reports Aramco building hit and four wounded in Houthi missile attacks
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that an attack on an Aramco building in the kingdom’s east sparked a “limited fire” and that debris from intercepted Houthi missiles wounded four people in the capital Riyadh.
It came hours after the Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis said it had intercepted several missiles on Tuesday evening, including over Riyadh.
A Saudi energy ministry official said an administrative building belonging to oil giant Aramco in Dhahran was struck on Tuesday evening, resulting in a “limited fire” but “no casualties or fatalities”.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said on Wednesday that four people – two women, a man and a child – were wounded by debris from two intercepted Houthi cruise missiles in the capital and that 15 homes were damaged.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s developments here.
