Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland

Saudi Arabia launched an attack on Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, in response to the targeting of key oil facilities in the Kingdom by Yemen's Houthis.

The coalition targeted Houthi military targets in the capital and other Yemeni regions.

Earlier, Houthi forces fired drones and ballistic missiles at oil sites and military facilities in Saudi Arabia.

One of the sites targeted was a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to petroleum exports.

The facility which houses the world's biggest oil loading facility was attacked with a drone coming from the sea.

Saudi authorities said the strike was intercepted, describing it as a failed assault on global energy security.

Noone was hurt in the attack and no property was damaged.

But the price of brent surged to more than $70 a barrel on Monday, its highest level since January 2020.

The Iranian-aligned Houthis have ramped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days.

Announcing Sunday's operation, the armed group said they also targeted military sites in several Saudi cities.

"The artillery and drone divisions were able to conduct a wide offensive in the depths of Saudi Arabia with 14 drones and 8 ballistic missiles. Of which, we targeted Aramco in Ras al-Tanura port and other military sites in Dhammam."

Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition that intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015.

The escalation in tensions comes as the United States and United Nations make a renewed push for a ceasefire.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden declared a halt to U.S. support for offensive operations by the coalition, but said the U.S. would continue to help Saudi Arabia defend itself.

Yemen's seemingly intractable conflict is largely viewed as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

It has left tens of thousands of people dead and the country is on the brink of famine.