Houthi Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities Spark Escalation in Yemen Conflict

Renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen has escalated, resulting in Houthi attacks on several oil facilities and utilities in Saudi Arabia's southern region. The attacks, which occurred early Tuesday morning, have set fires at multiple oil facilities and temporarily halted operations. According to Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, at least 73 people were injured in the attack, including women and children.

The attacks are a major escalation in the conflict between the US ally Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The flare-up brings further instability to the region, which has been scarred by nearly three years of wars. It also threatens to squeeze shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route for oil and global trade.

The UK government is preparing to impose a ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing an expansion program that endangers efforts to establish a Palestinian state. The move follows weeks of heightening clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen, which shattered a four-year truce in the country's civil war.