Houthi Strikes Ignite Saudi Oil Fires Amid Escalating Mideast Tensions
Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities have sparked fires and injured at least 73 people, including women and children. The conflict marks a major escalation in the renewed fighting between the US-backed Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The attacks targeted civilian and economic facilities in several cities, with the wounded counted among residents of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait. Major General Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, confirmed the details of the strikes.
In related news, the UK has announced it will ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing the expansion program's threat to Palestinian statehood efforts. The move comes as tensions rise between Israel and the international community over the legitimacy of the settlements.