Houthi Attacks Ignite Fires at Saudi Oil Facilities
A series of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen on Tuesday targeted Saudi oil facilities and utilities, wounding over 70 people and igniting fires. The attack is a significant escalation in the renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militants, who are armed and trained by Iran.
The conflict has been ongoing for years, with weeks of clashes already adding pressure to global oil supplies. The Houthis have targeted a shipping route used by Saudi Arabia to transport oil to world markets, while the Strait of Hormuz is currently throttled due to the US-Iran war.
On Tuesday's attack, facilities connected to the Bab el-Mandeb, a strategic waterway off the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, were hit. The waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as an alternative route for oil shipments.