🇸🇦⚡️ — The last six months for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:

— Iran takes control of the Strait of Hormuz
— Aramco facilities targeted by Iran's IRGC
— Aramco facilities targeted by the Houthis
— Houthis seize control of Bab el-Mandeb
— East-West pipeline shut down following drone attacks by Iraqi militias
— Mecca Defence Alliance with Pakistan and Türkiye proves ineffective (only condemnations)

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇨🇳⚡️ — U.S. officials say Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery of Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base from Chinese entities before a July 17 attack that killed three American troops, according to WSJ.

Officials say they have linked the imagery to the strike, although they have not accused Beijing of direct involvement or identified the Chinese suppliers.

Tehran acquired imagery both before and after the attack. Senior U.S. officials confronted their Chinese counterparts with the intelligence, but Chinese officials rejected the allegations and demanded evidence.

Washington had already warned Beijing for months that Chinese companies were supplying imagery Iran could use to target U.S. forces, and sanctioned several Chinese firms in May.

U.S. officials say Iran’s targeting improved significantly over the summer after initially struggling to identify important U.S. positions. The Chinese imagery was likely only one source of intelligence, alongside Iran’s own satellites, human intelligence and assistance provided by Russia.

Washington is also concerned that Chinese imagery could be helping Iran track U.S. naval forces. Officials say Iran’s recent ballistic-missile attacks against an American aircraft carrier and other warships failed but included several close calls.

🇾🇪🆒🚫🇸🇦🛢⚡️ ALSAA ANALYSYS ​ The Houthis have just put Saudi Arabia under severe pressure regarding oil.

Seven weeks. That is how long it took Yemeni forces to bring Saudi production down to its lowest level since 1990.

​The timeline:

• July 25 — First direct strikes on Saudi territory since 2022. Jizan and Yanbu hit on the same day. The Jizan refinery (400,000 bpd) brought to a standstill.

• July 27 — Abqaiq on fire. The largest crude stabilization plant in the world.

• August — Jizan remains unserviceable, repeatedly struck.

• September 8 — Massive wave on Abha, Najran, Jizan. 73 injured.

• September 10 — The most strategic blow: the East-West pipeline pumping stations (7 mbpd) hit. The only real alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which is already severely disrupted on the Iranian side. Precautionary shutdown.

​The result:

Hormuz severely disrupted + Red Sea under permanent threat = Saudi Arabia's two main export routes are simultaneously under constraint.

Production: 6.24 mbpd in August → -1.9 mbpd.

Lowest level in 35 years.
Exports: dropped to 3.2–3.5 mbpd.

Even bypassing comes at a high cost: insurers are pushing premiums up to 3% of the vessel's value on Saudi routes (compared to 0.3% previously), adding +$7–8 per barrel. Many are now rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope → +2 to 4 weeks of transit time.

​The bill:

≈ $200 million/day in lost revenue from lost production.

Jizan alone: ≈ $42 million/day.

For the month of August alone: around $6 billion in potential revenues lost.

​Two strategic corridors put under pressure at the same time.

​The Houthis hit where it hurts most.