Houthis Advance Threatens Oil Supplies as US Weighs Military Aid

New attacks on Saudi Arabia and ships in the Gulf have tested nerves in the Middle East, raising concerns about worsening oil disruption. The latest incidents include a strike on a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate.

The British maritime security agency UKMTO confirmed that a projectile had struck the vessel, while Iran reported one person killed and four wounded aboard an Iranian commercial ship off its coast. In Saudi Arabia, state media released video footage showing damage to homes and a mosque in Jazan province after a purported cross-border attack by the Houthis.

The attacks come as oil prices surged above $100 last week for the first time since July, with the retail price of diesel fuel in the United States reaching an all-time high above $6.20 a gallon. Saudi Arabia has sufficient oil stored at its Red Sea port to maintain exports for just five to seven days if the pipeline remains shut.

The Houthis have been battling a Saudi-led coalition for over a decade but had mostly kept out of the wider Middle East war until recent weeks. Their advance along the Red Sea coast is part of the biggest eruption of fighting in Yemen for years. The US has offered only intelligence support to Saudi Arabia, which is seeking military aid to fight the Houthis.