Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh strikes on Thursday as the expanding Middle East war intensified along the Red Seaforcing thousands of Yemenis to flee by land and sea and raising fresh concerns over global oil supplies.
Houthi-controlled television reported Saudi airstrikes in Yemen’s Hajjah province near the Saudi border and along the Red Sea coast, as well as in the vicinity of Taiz further south.
Saudi Civil Defence said a Yemeni living in the kingdom was killed after debris from a drone intercepted over Taif fell to the ground. It was the first death Saudi Arabia has reported from repeated Houthi attacks since the fighting escalated last week. Riyadh has previously said more than 80 people were wounded.
At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker caught fire after being hit while attempting what it described as an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker later came to a halt, Iranian state media reported.
The widening conflict has increased concerns over global energy supplies as both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea face disruption. The Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, is a crucial route for Gulf exports and global shipping.
YEMENIS FLEE ACROSS THE RED SEA
The renewed fighting has forced civilians to flee Yemen, with some crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in small boats to reach Djibouti.
The International Organization for Migration said more than 100,000 people had been displaced by the latest fighting, mostly within Yemen. Thousands more have crossed the sea as Houthi forces have rapidly expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Wahida Omer, 50, reached Djibouti after crossing the Red Sea from Yemen when her village of Dhubab came under attack. She told the IOM that the journey was frightening and difficult, with people crying throughout the crossing and arriving without food.
The Houthis have claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out hundreds of airstrikes in recent days. On Wednesday, the group also claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet, a claim that could not be independently verified.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group wanted Saudi Arabia to end what he described as its blockade and intervention in Yemen.
OIL SUPPLY RISKS GROW
The escalation comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted. Preliminary tracking data showed only three commercial vessels transited the strait on Wednesday, far below the 10-day average of about 17. Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb also fell to 21 vessel crossings from 24 the previous day.
Oil prices eased on Thursday but remained above USD100 a barrel. Brent crude settled at USD 104.82 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate closed at USD 101.91.
The spread of fighting to Saudi Arabia has added pressure to an already strained energy market, particularly after attacks damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which provides an alternative route for exports when shipping through Hormuz is disrupted.
US President Donald Trump has declined Saudi requests for military support against the Houthis. Speaking to Axios on Thursday, Trump said he faced a major decision over whether to launch renewed attacks against Iran.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” Trump said.
The United States and Iran have not resumed negotiations since an interim agreement reached in June collapsed within weeks. The conflict is expected to feature in discussions at the United Nations General Assembly next week, with an Iranian delegation allowed to attend, according to the US State Department.
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