This week's Orbital Risk Intelligence Saudi Arabia Weekly Security Report is out, and the headline number…
Armed Conflict · · Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
This week's Orbital Risk Intelligence Saudi Arabia Weekly Security Report is out, and the headline number tells only half the story.
#Houthi launches against the kingdom fell by about a third on the previous week: at least 30 missiles and drones intercepted, against at least 46 the week before. On the surface, that looks like easing pressure.
It isn't. The Houthis fired at #SaudiArabia every single day, and the ballistic missiles they did launch went at economic targets. One reached Ras Tanura. Satellite imagery shows fire damage at Saudi Arabia's largest refinery, beside one of its main crude export terminals, more than 1,200 km from Yemen. Fewer missiles, more serious damage.
From 30 October the pattern changed again, to one or two missiles a day at most and single drones over several regions. We assess that as deliberate conservation, not lost capability. The Houthis are holding missiles back, and the obvious trigger is a US or Israeli strike on Iran now that the US midterms are here.
That is what makes this week important for anyone with exposure to the kingdom. Saudi exports now face threats on both coasts at once: Houthi missiles at Ras Tanura, Abqaiq and Rabigh, Iranian attacks on shipping spreading into the northern Gulf off Ras Al Khafji, and a continuing threat to Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
This week's report adds a week-on-week tempo comparison, an escalation and de-escalation outlook, and a carrier-by-carrier list of airline suspensions, with some now running into 2027.
If you want the full report, or would like to talk about what this means for your operations, message me, use the download link or contact commercial@orbitalriskintelligence.com
#SaudiArabia #MaritimeSecurity #EnergySecurity #RedSea #Intelligence
Source: @Martin Kelly
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