Saudi Vows Retaliation After Houthi Missile Attacks on Oil Facilities

Saudi Arabia has vowed to respond after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a wave of missile attacks on oil facilities and airports, leaving 73 people injured. The overnight attacks caused 'temporary' shutdowns at oil sites, with energy ministry sources saying several installations were targeted, leading to fires and halting operations temporarily.

The attacks came as the Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, also threatened to respond, saying it would take 'all necessary measures' to defend its sovereignty. The Houthi rebels have accused Riyadh of a prison attack that killed 11 people and left 20 inmates missing.

The attacks on oil facilities are likely to increase upward pressure on oil prices, which have spiked since Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, slowing Gulf shipments. Andreas Krieg, a Gulf expert from King's College London, said the Houthi attacks create an 'extremely uncomfortable dilemma' for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Houthis fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Abha International Airport and facilities belonging to state oil giant Aramco in Abha and Jizan. The Saudi government has demanded a halt to the Houthi strikes and their attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.