Houthi attacks hit Saudi energy sites as regional conflict escalates

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants launched their heaviest aerial assault on Saudi Arabia in years on Tuesday, 8 September, wounding 73 civilians and striking energy infrastructure in the kingdom’s southern provinces. The escalation, which triggered fires and forced temporary operational halts at several facilities, marks the effective collapse of a 2022 truce that had largely frozen the conflict for four years. Energy markets react to infrastructure strikes The strikes targeted critical energy nodes at a time of heightened global sensitivity. Brent crude prices climbed to $99 a barrel following the reports, the highest level recorded since late July. Riyadh has vowed to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, as the Houthis simultaneously announced a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping. The surge in violence follows the unauthorized landing of an Iranian aircraft in Houthi-controlled Sanaa in July, an event that triggered retaliatory strikes and ended the period of relative calm. Battle for Red Sea chokepoints The cross-border escalation coincides with a massive Houthi ground offensive within Yemen aimed at the Bab Al Mandab strait. According to an AFP tally based on sources from both sides, more than 500 people have been killed in recent fighting as Houthi forces attempt to seize territory overlooking the strategic waterway. The UN’s International Organisation for Migration reports that approximately 18,500 people have been displaced in Taiz and Hodeidah as…