Saudi Aramco’s headquarters has fled— for the first time since the war began.
Reuters exclusive today: Saudi Aramco ordered everyone at its Dhahran headquarters to evacuate and work remotely, six people familiar with the matter independently confirmed. The company itself declined to comment.
This isn’t an overreaction—the Houthis already hit the building with a missile earlier this month, setting fire to several floors.
Bear in mind, this building houses Aramco’s brain: the command center coordinating onshore drilling, offshore platforms, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometers of pipelines. Take it out, and you’ve got your hand around the throat of global oil flows.
Eight months into the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian war, this is the first time Saudi Arabia has had headquarters staff take cover. Either the Houthis’ aim has improved, or the nerves in Riyadh have finally snapped.
I think the Houthis are playing a devilishly clever game: they’re not taking on your aircraft carriers; they’re taking on oil prices. U.S. midterm voting starts next month. Every uptick in oil prices makes the White House look a little worse.
Do you think they’re trying to force Saudi Arabia back to the negotiating table, or deliberately hitting American voters where it hurts—their wallets?
Saudi Aramco evacuation | Houthis’ oil-price gambit
#中东局势 #Hormuz
Reuters exclusive today: Saudi Aramco ordered everyone at its Dhahran headquarters to evacuate and work remotely, six people familiar with the matter independently confirmed. The company itself declined to comment.
This isn’t an overreaction—the Houthis already hit the building with a missile earlier this month, setting fire to several floors.
Bear in mind, this building houses Aramco’s brain: the command center coordinating onshore drilling, offshore platforms, refineries, export terminals and thousands of kilometers of pipelines. Take it out, and you’ve got your hand around the throat of global oil flows.
Eight months into the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian war, this is the first time Saudi Arabia has had headquarters staff take cover. Either the Houthis’ aim has improved, or the nerves in Riyadh have finally snapped.
I think the Houthis are playing a devilishly clever game: they’re not taking on your aircraft carriers; they’re taking on oil prices. U.S. midterm voting starts next month. Every uptick in oil prices makes the White House look a little worse.
Do you think they’re trying to force Saudi Arabia back to the negotiating table, or deliberately hitting American voters where it hurts—their wallets?
Saudi Aramco evacuation | Houthis’ oil-price gambit
#中东局势 #Hormuz