US Warns of Rapid Escalation in West Asia Conflict
US President Donald Trump cut short his weekend at Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House, amidst rising tensions in West Asia. The US State Department warned of a rapid escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.
Loud explosions were heard on Saturday in the Saudi capital, where AFP journalists witnessed a fuel tank bearing the logo of oil giant Aramco on fire near the airport. The US State Department restricted travel for American government employees to the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, home to a major Red Sea oil export terminal that has previously been targeted by Houthi strikes.
The violence has already disrupted exports from Saudi Arabia, the world's leading supplier of crude oil, as well as maritime traffic. The attack has piled further pressure on a global economy already rocked by seven months of war in the Middle East, which began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.