Houthi strikes on four Saudi cities wound 73, escalate Gulf conflict
Houthi drone and missile attacks on four Saudi cities wounded 73 people and set oil sites ablaze, expanding the Middle East war.
Yemen's Houthi movement, backed by Iran, launched a coordinated drone and missile assault on four cities in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding at least 73 people and setting fire to energy installations. The attacks mark a significant broadening of the six-month-old conflict in the region.
The Houthis said the operation targeted a Saudi airbase at Khamis Mushait, along with facilities belonging to the state oil company in Abha, Najran near the Yemeni border, and Jazan, a key Red Sea port. Saudi authorities confirmed blazes at the affected sites and said women and children were among the casualties.
The scale of the assault suggests it is among the most significant strikes on Saudi territory since the United States and Israel began their campaign against Iran in February. The Houthis, who control much of Yemen's populated territory, also released footage of an explosion they said involved Saudi trucks at a border location.
The renewed fighting follows a relatively quiet period in August and has pushed global oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising more than 2% to above $99 a barrel. The attacks raise concerns about broader disruption to Middle East energy supplies, particularly as the conflict has already affected shipping routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Houthis in Yemen for over a decade. A ceasefire that had largely held in recent years has now collapsed, with the Houthis also threatening vessels near the entrance to the Red Sea.
A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said it would take all necessary measures to deter what it called a "terrorist militia." The Houthis, in turn, accused Riyadh of escalating the war through its own air strikes on Yemen and vowed to respond.
The broader conflict has become a test of wills between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. is attempting to maintain oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz while enforcing a blockade on Iranian exports. Iran has announced plans for a "maritime exclusion zone" extending from the U.S. blockade perimeter through the strait and into the Gulf.
Iranian officials said recent missile tests sent a clear warning to Washington, and that the operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been recalibrated. Despite U.S. strikes that have degraded Iran's conventional forces, Tehran retains missiles and drones capable of threatening tankers and regional U.S. bases.
Before the war, roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strait. The conflict has already caused shortages of crude and refined fuels, with U.S. diesel prices at a record average above $5.90 a gallon. President Donald Trump said on social media that oil prices would fall "precipitously" once the U.S. wins the war, predicting prices would drop below two dollars a gallon.