A senior Iranian official said Tehran plans an economic offensive including
attacks on Gulf oil reroute export facilities to push up US gasoline prices and
damage support for Trump’s party before the November midterms. Targets would
include the two main alternatives used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz — Saudi
Arabia’s Yanbu pipeline and the UAE’s Fujairah oil terminal — which together
handle about 5.5 mln bpd. The official said if Iran also cut the US‑supported
“shadow fleet” flows currently transiting the Strait, roughly 5.0 mln bpd, it
would significantly reduce the alternate transport capacity that sustains Gulf
exports under a wider blockade. With Brent near $93/bbl, any credible strike on
Yanbu or Fujairah could be seen by traders as a supply shock larger than prior
disruptions.
