Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missiles Amid Fears of Supply Disruptions

Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, sparking fears of supply disruptions and driving oil prices to a one-week high. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the missiles were aimed at Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks threaten Saudi Arabia's ability to export oil through the Red Sea, as the strait of Hormuz is already disrupted and the kingdom's east-west pipeline has only just resumed operations after drone strikes earlier this month. The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July, opening up a second theatre in the US-Iran war.

The internationally recognised government in Yemen pressed world leaders for help defeating the militants, warning that their new perch along one of the world's busiest waterways presents an international economic risk. Vice-president Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer urged world leaders at the UN general assembly not to trust the Houthis' assurances, saying 'The Houthi militias' use of the safety of navigation as a tool for blackmail threatens not only Yemen. It is taking hostage the entire global economy.'

The Saudi-backed government's forces had repelled overnight attacks by the Houthis on a key supply route to Yemen's third-biggest city Taiz, which has been a lifeline for government forces and the only route for goods and residents to reach the city.