Houthi Forces Launch Missile Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities in Escalating Regional Conflict

A fresh wave of conflict has erupted in the Middle East as Houthi forces allied to Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's key oil facilities, escalating the simmering regional war. The attacks targeted refineries belonging to state-owned Aramco in the coastal cities of Jizan and Yanbu, with a large column of smoke seen rising from one of the sites.

The US-Iran conflict has spread beyond the Gulf region, entangling it with other global conflicts, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that his country had achieved 'very strong results' in a long-range strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.

The conflict has raised fears of a supply chain crisis, with the potential for both the Bab al-Mandeb and Hormuz straits to be blocked. This could cause major economic damage worldwide, particularly in vulnerable countries reliant on oil exports.