New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi test nerves as war's spread worsens oil disruption
A vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate, while Iran reported one person killed and four wounded on an Iranian commercial vessel off its coast. In Saudi Arabia, state media showed damage to homes and a mosque in Jazan province from an attack the Houthis claimed, and the Houthis said they struck a Saudi military base in a neighbouring province. The Houthis also captured Perim Island in the Bab El-Mandeb, and a drone strike on Friday knocked out the 1,200-km east-west pipeline across the Arabian Peninsula.
Why it matters: The disruption to energy supplies and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab El-Mandeb directly affects global oil markets and the broader war's economic impact.