Saudi Warplanes Hit Yemen Again as 100 Jets Target Houthis—And Oil Jumps Past $100

Saudi Arabia launched a major military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen on Monday, ending a four-year pause in bombing and raising the risk of a direct war with Iran, analysts warn.

More than 100 Saudi warplanes struck Houthi rebel positions, helping Yemeni government forces retake most of the Red Sea coastal territory that the Houthis had seized last month [255279]. The airstrikes also hit Sanaa, Yemen's capital, and three other Yemeni provinces, according to the Houthi movement. Yemen's military reported separately that 27 strikes hit Houthi positions in Taiz [255012].

The operation brings back memories of Saudi Arabia's previous intervention in Yemen, which became a costly and drawn-out conflict [255441]. Iranian military advisers had been embedded with the Houthis, according to reports, and analysts expect the Houthis to retaliate by intensifying attacks [255279]. The Houthis are allied with Tehran, while Saudi Arabia supports Yemen's government [255279].

The renewed fighting comes as oil prices climbed back above $100 a barrel on Tuesday, driven by investor fears of a possible return to active conflict between the United States and Iran [254701]. Such a conflict could further tighten supplies of crude oil and refined products [254701]. Oil prices had already edged higher on Monday as fears of a U.S.-Iran conflict continued to worry traders, even as Middle East crude exports recovered to levels seen before the war [254621].

The escalation follows President Donald Trump's announcement on Feb. 28 of "major combat operations" against Iran, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions [253291].