2 tankers carrying Saudi oil reverse course in Red Sea after Houthi threat, amid widening U.S.-Iran war
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Houthi rebels threaten Saudi oil shipments in the Red Sea, coinciding with ongoing U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets. The conflict has resulted in casualties and raised concerns over global energy stability.
Why it matters
The widening conflict threatens critical global shipping lanes and energy supply chains, potentially impacting international markets and geopolitical stability.
The U.S. military bombed targets in Iran for an 11th straight night, saying those targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites. Tehran residents reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Wednesday as Iran activated its air defences over the capital, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that explosions rocked Bushehr, East Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Khuzestan and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces.
Earlier, Iran targeted U.S. sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf.
Iran said it had struck infrastructure belonging to Amazon in Bahrain, where the U.S. tech company operates a regional data centre. Amazon did not comment and Reuters could not verify the report.
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