Understanding the Conflicts Leading to Saudi Attacks

Before Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, the country had strong regional divisions but there was no tradition of sectarianism between its Shiite and Sunni Muslim communities. With outside powers having chosen sides along those lines, the conflict now pits the Middle East’s biggest rivals, Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran, against one another, with consequences for the entire world. Devastating attacks on Saudi oil production facilities in September 2019 knocked out roughly 5% of global supply, triggering a record surge in oil prices. Another serious attack in March 2021, while less disruptive, lifted oil prices to levels unseen since the start of the global pandemic.

Responsibility for the attacks was claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels -- the forces who in 2014 seized control of Yemen’s capital Sana’a and parts of the country’s north. The rebels have recently stepped up assaults, claiming a hit on a Saudi Aramco fuel depot in Jeddah with a cruise missile. While most of the strikes cause limited damage and few casualties, their frequency has roiled energy and shipping markets. After the 2019 attacks, Saudi authorities pointed the finger at arch-rival Iran.