RIYADH/WASHINGTON: The Middle East conflict widened on Tuesday as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on four cities in southern Saudi Arabia, while US forces struck Iranian oil tankers and Iran claimed a ballistic missile attack on a US base in Jordan.
Saudi authorities said 73 people were wounded in the attacks, with fires reported at oil-related facilities. The Houthis said their strikes targeted a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil facilities in Abha, Najran and Jazan.
Saudi authorities reported fires at several locations and said women and children were among those injured. Satellite imagery showed smoke rising from areas around the Jazan refinery and an oil distribution facility in Abha.
What targets did the Houthis strike in Saudi Arabia?
The Houthis said they carried out a large-scale operation using drones and missiles against targets in southern Saudi Arabia.
The group claimed attacks on Khamis Mushait airbase and facilities linked to Saudi state oil company Aramco in Abha, Najran and Jazan.
The strikes came as fighting between US and Iranian forces intensified following a period of reduced hostilities. The Houthis control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and have previously targeted shipping routes in the Red Sea.
The latest attacks also come amid renewed fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Saudi Arabia has supported the Yemeni government in its conflict with the Houthis for more than a decade.
How did the US and Iran respond?
The US military’s Central Command said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on Tuesday. Four vessels were targeted in the Gulf of Oman and another near Iran’s Kharg Island, according to the US military.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the strikes followed Iranian attacks on a US Navy warship.
Iran subsequently claimed that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had carried out a ballistic missile strike against a US base near Al Azraq in eastern Jordan. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the Iranian claim from Jordan or the US military.
Iran also threatened further action against oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, according to Iranian state media.
The renewed military exchanges have increased pressure on regional energy markets. Brent crude prices rose but remained below $100 a barrel.
The United States has also announced additional sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Tehran and limit its ability to generate oil revenues.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards separately claimed to have captured a US submersible near the Strait of Hormuz. A US official told Reuters that an underwater military drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier and did not carry classified sonar or radar equipment.
The latest escalation has raised concerns over the potential for further disruption to energy supplies and commercial shipping across the Gulf and Red Sea.