Iran-backed Houthis and Iraqi militias coordinate drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities

Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out joint airstrikes in Iraq in July after attributing a two-day drone swarm against Saudi oil facilities to Iran-backed militias. Regional officials said Yemen's Houthi rebels helped plan and execute the attacks, operating from an operations room run by Iraqi militias. Two Saudi officials and a senior Iraqi security source confirmed Houthi involvement, while a senior Houthi official and an Iraqi militia member verified the death of a Houthi commander in the strikes.

The airstrikes killed at least 20 Iraqi fighters, six Iranian advisers and the Houthi official. A U.S. military spokesperson expressed concern over the Houthi presence in Iraq and their capacity to launch attacks on Saudi targets. Officials from the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of Iraqi militias, denied participation in the attack or direct Houthi control.

Analysts note that cooperation between the Houthis and Iraqi militias grew during the Gaza war, with the Houthis sharing military expertise in exchange for support. The coordination is seen as part of a broader Iranian strategy to pressure Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies in the Gulf, aiming to raise the costs of the war launched by the United States and Israel in February.

In the weeks preceding the drone attack, the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and have conducted more than a dozen attacks on Saudi oil facilities and tankers. The heightened threat prompted Saudi Arabia to adopt a “dark” transit policy for oil tankers, disabling tracking signals in the Red Sea. Experts warn that the escalating hostilities could further destabilize regional oil flows and increase the risk of broader conflict.