Iranian Official: Plans to Attack Crude Oil Export Facilities, Aiming to Strike Trump Ahead of US Midterm Elections

Odaily Planet Daily News A senior Iranian official stated that Tehran is planning to wage an economic war, including attacks on oil bypass export facilities in the Gulf region, with the aim of driving up US gasoline prices and hurting the party backing Trump ahead of the US midterm elections in November. According to the official, the targets of this plan will include the two main alternative routes used by shippers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz: Saudi Arabia's Yanbu oil pipeline and the UAE's Fujairah oil terminal. Together, these two facilities handle approximately 5.5 million barrels of oil per day. If Iran also cuts off the roughly 5 million barrels per day of oil currently transported through the Strait of Hormuz by the US-backed "shadow fleet," a successful operation would cripple a significant portion of the alternative transport capacity—channels that have sustained some Gulf oil exports amid the broader blockade. Given that Brent crude prices are already near $93 per barrel under the current tensions, any credible action targeting Yanbu or Fujairah could be perceived by traders as a shock far greater than previous supply disruptions. (Jin Shi)