Saudi Pipeline Shut Down Amid Houthi Rebel Advance in Red Sea

Saudi Arabia has shut down one of its major pipelines after it was attacked by drones. The attack occurred on Friday, and the pipeline remains closed. This incident comes a day after Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, known as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world's key shipping lanes, and the Houthis' advance could boost Iran's strategy of driving up world oil and gas prices. This move is seen as a pressure tactic against the United States. The officials who spoke to The Associated Press did not provide further details on the pipeline attack or the capture of the island.

The Houthis have made significant territorial gains in recent years, but this latest advance marks one of their biggest victories along this strategic shipping lane.