Houthis Capture Strategic Island as Saudi Pipeline Shut Down

Saudi Arabia shut down its major East-West pipeline after it was attacked by drones, and Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

The Houthis made significant territorial gains along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's key shipping lanes. This advance could boost Iran's strategy of driving up world oil and gas prices to pressure the United States.

Saudi Arabia said it shut down the pipeline as a precautionary measure after it was attacked by drones from Iraq, according to the Saudi Ministry of Energy. The kingdom blamed the Iraqi government for not taking necessary measures.