New front opens in Iran war as US is dragged into ‘crisis phase’ and oil prices rocket
Saudi Arabia launched air strikes on Iran’s Houthi proxy in Yemen and oil prices rose Monday morning as Donald Trump’s ceasefire collapsed.
Houthi rebels said Saudi warplanes bombed Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, with the group’s spokesman declaring the ‘de-escalation phase over’ and warning that ‘the attack will not go unanswered or unpunished’.
It was reported that the attack took place while the Iranian plane was trying to land at the airport. An evacuation order has been issued for the airport and surrounding areas.
The Saudi-led military alliance in southern Yemen has been fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north for a decade.
Tehran claims that Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Iran has entered a ‘crisis phase’, saying this has already reached the negotiating table with the foreign ministry.
Oil prices rose more than 3 percent on Monday morning following renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran amid rising tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked about the increasing attacks across the region, Trump told Fox News: ‘We are taking over the Strait.’
The Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf choke point that carries nearly a fifth of the world’s oil, has been a central flashpoint since the war began in February, with markets spiraling with each tension.
