The war in the Middle East escalated sharply on Tuesday after Iran-backed Houthi forces launched attacks on several cities in southern Saudi Arabia, while the US struck Iranian oil tankers and Iran retaliated by targeting a US base in Jordan.
The Houthi attacks hit four Saudi cities, killing no one but injuring 73 people and setting several oil facilities ablaze. The scale of the attacks marked a major escalation in the six-month-old conflict and further dragged another key US ally into the war.
The Houthis said they launched drones and missiles deep into Saudi territory, targeting a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait as well as facilities belonging to state oil company Saudi Aramco in Abha, Najran and Jazan.
NASA satellite imagery showed a thick cloud of black smoke over the Jazan refinery, while white smoke was seen rising from an oil distribution centre in Abha. Saudi authorities confirmed fires at the sites and said women and children were among those injured.
The attacks came as the US military’s Central Command said it had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers. The US said the strikes were carried out in response to attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the previous two days. No US personnel were injured.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran would face further losses if it continued targeting American naval vessels.
“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.
Iran subsequently retaliated with a ballistic missile attack on a US base near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to an IRGC statement carried by Iranian state media.
Iran claimed its missiles caused heavy damage, but Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 missiles, while the remaining two landed in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported.
Iran has repeatedly targeted US allies in the region during the conflict, including Jordan. A previous Iranian strike in July killed two US military personnel.
Iranian state media also reported that the IRGC had attacked two US destroyers, although the US military had not responded to the claim at the time of reporting.
Tehran also threatened to target oil tankers at ports in Kuwait and Bahrain. Separately, a maritime security source said a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged at the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan, although it remained unclear who was responsible.
The latest escalation has also rattled global energy markets. After a month of relative calm in August, renewed fighting between Iran and the US in recent days pushed benchmark Brent crude to its highest level since July 23.
Brent futures rose by another US$1 a barrel following the attack on Jordan, although prices remained below US$100 a barrel despite the growing disruptions.
The Houthis’ involvement could further widen the economic impact of the conflict. The group controls much of Yemen’s populated territory, including the capital, and has previously disrupted shipping around the Red Sea, adding pressure to global trade routes.
Saudi Arabia has also been fighting the Houthis for more than a decade as part of an Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s government. While fighting had eased in recent years, a previous ceasefire has since collapsed.
The broader conflict has increasingly become a test of economic and military pressure between Washington and Tehran, with both sides using blockades and attacks in an attempt to force the other to back down.
The US is seeking to keep oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz while restricting Iranian exports, while Iran continues to retain the ability to launch missile and drone attacks and threaten shipping through one of the world’s most important energy routes.
