On September 19, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a new round of missile and drone attacks targeting "sensitive sites" in the Saudi capital Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. U.S. embassies in multiple Middle Eastern countries issued security alerts, warning that military conflict could "rapidly escalate" and advising U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance. Saudi Arabia has requested air defense support from France, the UK, Pakistan, and Egypt, and has also made a rare request for assistance from Israel, with whom it does not yet have diplomatic relations, as its main ally the United States has seen a significant decline in its interceptor missile inventory due to the conflict with Iran.

Analysts point out that the "double strait chokehold" situation involving the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, coupled with the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipelines due to attacks, means global energy transportation is facing its most severe situation in decades. On September 18, the daily charter rate for the VLCC benchmark route TD3C surged to $1.241 million, a level described as "unprecedented" by shipbroker Gibson. High freight rates are forcing global refiners to abandon long-haul cargoes and switch to closer supplies.