Follow-Up: Houthis Say They Attacked Three Saudi Oil Sites as Brent Rises to $115.74: Up Nearly 14% in October, WTI Above $100 for First Time Since April
Oil prices climbed in early trade on Friday, October 30, on supply concerns after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported. Brent crude futures rose 86 cents, or 0.75 percent, to $115.74 a barrel as of 0122 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 72 cents, or 0.71 percent, to $102.72. Prices were on track for a fourth straight monthly gain, the steepest since July.
For the month, Brent was on course to finish nearly 14 percent higher, while WTI was heading for a 15 percent jump, set to close above $100 for the first time since April.
The Houthis said on Thursday that they had attacked several sites in Saudi Arabia, including its largest oil refinery at Ras Tanura, the Rabigh refinery and an Aramco facility in Abqaiq. A Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a cruise missile launched by the Houthis toward the kingdom's western region. The claimed attacks were described by each side, and the extent of any damage has not been confirmed.
Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed on October 27 to have hit the Ras Tanura refinery with missiles and to have attacked Najran airport and the King Khalid air base at Khamis Mushait, claims Saudi Arabia did not confirm at the time, as GSM reported earlier. The sites named this time add Rabigh and Abqaiq.
Around the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three tankers hit sea mines, exploded and caught fire while attempting to use an unauthorized route south of the strait, a claim that has not been independently verified. Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, said continued kinetic action around the strait, amid doubts about a viable diplomatic pathway, was keeping oil prices elevated in expectation of an escalation in the coming weeks.
On diplomacy, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Vice President JD Vance had reached out to Iran to help the country obtain medical supplies, after U.S. media reported Vance had written to Tehran's top security official to revive peace talks. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran has received Vance's letter but has not responded, adding that Iran wants the United States to meet its conditions and that any position contradicting that framework is unacceptable.
Amid the security concerns, ExxonMobil and Chevron have cancelled plans for their executives to travel to the United Arab Emirates' biggest oil show next week, two sources familiar with the developments told Reuters.
Source: Reuters, October 30
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：霍尔木兹海峡卫星图（资料图）。照片：NASA，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz (file photo). Photo: NASA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-10-30Follow-Up: Houthis Say They Attacked Three Saudi Oil Sites as Brent Rises to $115.74: Up Nearly 14% in October, WTI Above $100 for First Time Since AprilThis story
