Middle East Tensions Escalate as Houthi Strikes Ignite Fires in Saudi Arabia
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have ignited fires at several oil facilities and wounded dozens of people, escalating tensions in the region. The strikes, which occurred early Tuesday, targeted 'civilian and economic facilities' in the cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, confirmed that at least 73 people were injured, including women and children. The attacks follow weeks of intensifying clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen, which shattered a four-year truce in the country's civil war.
The UK has also announced its decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing concerns over the expansion program's impact on efforts to establish a Palestinian state. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said that 'settler terrorists' are carrying out 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians and that the U.K. will ban imports of all goods from the settlements as well as some services.
In related news, a child was among at least two people killed by Israeli troops in Gaza on Tuesday, according to hospital officials. The US has also imposed additional sanctions on Iran's aviation sector, targeting three dozen commercial and private airlines and foreign cargo service providers.