Houthi militia escalates conflict with drone and missile strikes on Saudi targets

Yemen’s Houthi militia launched a coordinated wave of drone and ballistic missile strikes across southern Saudi Arabia on September 8, hitting civilian areas and critical oil infrastructure in what Saudi officials are calling the gravest escalation of the Yemen conflict in years. The attacks injured 73 people, including women and children, and sparked fires at Saudi Aramco facilities that forced a temporary shutdown of operations. Brent crude jumped to $99 per barrel in the immediate aftermath. That’s the highest level since July 2026, and it puts the global benchmark uncomfortably close to the psychologically significant $100 mark that energy traders have been watching all year. What happened on the ground The Houthi strikes targeted multiple cities in Saudi Arabia’s southern region, including Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait. The targets were a mix of civilian locations and energy infrastructure. Fires broke out at Saudi Aramco-operated oil facilities, triggering the suspension of operations at affected sites. Saudi Aramco has not publicly detailed the extent of damage or provided a timeline for resuming full operations. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the strikes wer...