Houthis Claim New Attacks on Saudi Arabia Amid Fears of Escalating Conflict

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed new attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting a military base and injuring civilians. The Houthis' swift advance along the Red Sea coast has alarmed markets and Yemeni civilians who fear a return to devastating civil war.

The Houthi capture of a key port city and an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been met with concern from the international community, with oil prices rising again. The Houthis have said they will not target other commercial shipping, but markets remain wary.

Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen's ruling presidential council, described the collapse of government forces in the port city of Mokha as 'painful and regrettable'. He vowed that their forces would regroup and fight back against the Houthis.