{"id":65386,"date":"2026-07-25T03:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T07:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/houthi-strike-on-jazan-refinery-and-record-low-jobless-claims-shake-markets\/65386\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T03:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T07:38:13","slug":"houthi-strike-on-jazan-refinery-and-record-low-jobless-claims-shake-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/houthi-strike-on-jazan-refinery-and-record-low-jobless-claims-shake-markets\/65386\/","title":{"rendered":"Houthi Strike on Jazan Refinery and Record-Low Jobless Claims Shake Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels struck Saudi Aramco\u2019s (<a href=\"\/stock\/2222.SR\">2222.SR<\/a>) Jazan refinery<\/strong> with at least five ballistic missiles, marking the first major attack on a Saudi refinery complex in four years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>US weekly jobless claims plummeted to 187,000<\/strong>, the lowest level since September 1969, signaling an exceptionally tight labor market ahead of next week&#39;s Federal Reserve meeting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Africa\u2019s new ambassador to the US, Roelf Meyer<\/strong>, has prioritized the revocation of a 2025 executive order that established a refugee pathway for Afrikaners, citing a &quot;hostile stance&quot; toward Pretoria.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">Crude oil<\/a> markets face heightened volatility<\/strong> as the strike on the 400,000 barrel-per-day Jazan facility coincides with ongoing regional maritime blockades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>Houthi Missile Strike Hits Major Saudi Aramco Refinery<\/h2>\n<p>Yemen\u2019s Houthi movement successfully targeted the <strong>Saudi Aramco (<a href=\"\/stock\/2222.SR\">2222.SR<\/a>)<\/strong> Jazan oil refinery overnight, launching a barrage of at least <strong>five ballistic missiles<\/strong>. The strike caused multiple pillars of smoke to rise from the facility, which is Saudi Arabia\u2019s fifth-largest refinery with a capacity of <strong>400,000 barrels of crude per day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This escalation represents the first direct Houthi strike on a Saudi refinery complex since 2022, breaking a long-standing period of relative calm for the Kingdom&#39;s onshore energy infrastructure. The attack follows recent Houthi claims of a maritime blockade in the Red Sea and comes in retaliation for Royal Saudi Air Force strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. While Saudi Civil Defense initially issued warnings for the Jazan and Yanbu regions, they later announced the immediate danger had passed, though satellite imagery confirmed significant thermal anomalies at the site.<\/p>\n<h2>US Jobless Claims Hit 57-Year Low<\/h2>\n<p>In a surprise boost for the American economy, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped to an estimated <strong>187,000 last week<\/strong>. This figure represents a level not seen since <strong>September 1969<\/strong>, significantly outperforming analyst expectations of approximately 212,000.<\/p>\n<p>The Labor Department&#39;s report indicates that layoffs remain at historic lows despite broader global economic uncertainty and high interest rates. Economists note that while some of the drop may reflect seasonal volatility, the underlying trend reinforces a resilient labor market. This strength complicates the <strong>Federal Reserve\u2019s<\/strong> upcoming policy meeting on July 28-29, as officials must balance a robust job market against persistent inflation and rising energy costs.<\/p>\n<h2>South Africa Seeks to Revoke Trump Executive Order<\/h2>\n<p>South Africa\u2019s newly appointed ambassador to the United States, <strong>Roelf Meyer<\/strong>, has declared that his top priority is persuading <strong>President Donald Trump<\/strong> to revoke <strong>Executive Order 14204<\/strong>. Issued in February 2025, the order established a special refugee pathway for white Afrikaners, alleging they face &quot;egregious&quot; persecution and land confiscation in South Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Pretoria has vehemently rejected these claims, arguing the policy misrepresents the country&#39;s domestic situation and underpins a hostile diplomatic stance from Washington. Since the program&#39;s inception, approximately <strong>6,500 South Africans<\/strong> have relocated to the U.S. under the refugee status. Meyer acknowledged that negotiating with the Trump administration will be &quot;tough&quot; given the administration&#39;s firm stance on the issue and previous expulsion of South African diplomats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels struck Saudi Aramco\u2019s (2222.SR) Jazan refinery with at least five ballistic missiles, marking the first 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