US Attacks Iran as Yemen's Houthi Rebels Strike Saudi Oil Tankers
The US military has renewed its attacks on Iran as oil prices surge above $100 per barrel. This comes after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed strikes on two Saudi-flagged oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening another vital waterway and potentially leading to broader economic disruption.
U.S. Central Command said the latest attacks are designed to 'further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters' as the U.S. pushes to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.
The Houthi threat has raised questions on the viability of using Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port on the Red Sea, which has diverted millions of barrels a day of oil exports through an overland pipeline due to the war in the Persian Gulf.