Houthis Spark Oil Facility Fires in Saudi Arabia
Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia early Tuesday, September 8, sparking fires at multiple oil facilities and injuring at least 73 people. This escalation marks a significant increase in tensions between the US-backed Saudi government and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The attacks targeted 'civilian and economic facilities' in the cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait, according to Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition. The Houthis claimed that Saudi Arabia retaliated with strikes on Tuesday.
The flare-up adds to a region already battered by nearly three years of conflict, threatening shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial trade route that has helped mitigate the impact of Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz.