Daijiworld Media Network – Riyadh
Riyadh, Sep 18: Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces exchanged fresh strikes across their border on Thursday, while civilians fled Yemen by boat as the widening Middle East conflict raised fresh concerns over global oil supplies.
Houthi-controlled television reported Saudi airstrikes in Hajjah province near the Saudi border and in areas around Taiz further south. Saudi civil defence said a Yemeni national living in Saudi Arabia was killed by debris from a drone intercepted over the western city of Taif. It was the first death reported by Riyadh from repeated Houthi attacks since fighting escalated last week. Saudi authorities have previously reported more than 80 people wounded.
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, according to Iranian state media. The tanker later came to a halt after the fire.
The expansion of the conflict to Yemen and Saudi Arabia has raised concerns over oil supplies by putting the Red Sea route for Gulf exports at further risk, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted.
US President Donald Trump has rejected Saudi requests for military support against the Houthis, who agreed to a ceasefire with Washington last year after US forces carried out a two-month bombing campaign against the group.
Trump said on Thursday that he was approaching a critical decision over whether to resume large-scale attacks on Iran. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” he told Axios.
Global crude prices eased slightly on Thursday but remained above $100 a barrel after reaching their highest levels since May. The average US retail diesel price also reached a record high, at nearly $6.40 a gallon.
Meanwhile, the latest fighting has forced thousands of Yemeni civilians to flee across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Djibouti. The International Organization for Migration said more than 100,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the latest fighting, most of them within Yemen.
The conflict has also heightened concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the war. Iran has said the waterway will remain closed until the US blockade is lifted, while seeking an agreement with neighbouring Gulf states that would allow it to collect fees from vessels passing through the strait.