Saudi Oil Facilities Under Attack, UK Bans Israeli Settlement Goods, US Hits Iran Aviation

Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities have sparked fires and injured at least 73 people in several cities across the kingdom's southern region. The attacks, which took place early Tuesday morning, marked a major escalation in the conflict between the US-backed Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The clashes follow weeks of intensifying battles between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, which shattered a four-year truce in the country's civil war. The renewed fighting has raised concerns about global economic stability and the potential impact on shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route for oil trade.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that Britain will ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing an expansion program that endangers Palestinian statehood. Israel responded by saying it will close the British consulate in Jerusalem and expel UK representatives from a joint military center monitoring the Gaza ceasefire.

The US has also imposed additional sanctions on Iran's aviation sector, targeting 36 commercial and private airlines and foreign cargo service providers as part of its 'Operation Economic Outcast' campaign to isolate Tehran from trading partners.