Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Sites as 73 Are Injured

Iran-backed Houthi forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, striking energy facilities and other targets and injuring 73 people, Saudi officials said.

According to Fox News, fires were reported at several oil facilities and utilities, with some operations temporarily halted.

The attacks hit the cities of Jazan, Abha, Najran and Khamis Mushait. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" and targeted Saudi Aramco facilities, an industrial zone and an air base.

The strikes come as global energy markets are already facing pressure from the wider Middle East conflict. Saudi Arabia has been using Red Sea routes to move oil around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, where shipping has been severely disrupted.

That has increased the importance of the Bab el-Mandeb, the waterway connecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have previously targeted shipping in the area and announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in July.

The latest attacks raised fresh concerns that disruption could spread to another major route for Middle Eastern energy exports. Analysts say repeated attacks could make commercial operators more reluctant to use the Red Sea, potentially adding transportation, insurance and fuel costs.

Oil prices moved higher following the attacks. Brent crude rose toward $98 per barrel Tuesday, while U.S. crude climbed above $93, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said emergency crews were responding to fires at affected facilities and that measures would be taken to protect workers and maintain operations. The Saudi-led coalition called the assault a "dangerous escalation" and said it would take measures to deter additional attacks.

Saree said the strikes were retaliation for Saudi military action in Yemen. His comments followed an alleged Saudi airstrike on a prison in Yemen's Jawf province that Houthi authorities said killed seven people, including a child. Saudi Arabia has not publicly accepted responsibility for that strike.

The renewed fighting marks another escalation between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen after years of reduced hostilities. The conflict has also raised concerns about the security of commercial shipping through the Red Sea.

The immediate impact on oil supplies will depend on how quickly Saudi Arabia restores affected operations and whether further attacks target energy infrastructure or commercial vessels. A sustained threat to both the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea routes could place additional pressure on already-tight global energy markets.

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