Houthis widen war as Gulf talks stall

Yemen's Houthis launched a fresh barrage of missiles and drones at Saudi military targets on Monday, while planned Gulf-Iran talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz were postponed, fuelling fears that the widening regional conflict could further threaten global oil supplies. The Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, targeting fighter-jet hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in Khamis Mushait and three other southern cities that have previously come under Houthi fire. A resident of Khamis Mushait told AFP that he heard blasts and saw fires burning for a prolonged period. The renewed attacks came as Yemen's civil war, largely dormant under a ceasefire in recent years, has erupted again amid the wider US-Iran confrontation, with the Houthis rapidly expanding their territorial control and threatening vital routes around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. The latest escalation has raised concerns that the conflict could spill further into the Gulf and place additional pressure on already vulnerable energy infrastructure and shipping routes, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed amid the US-Iran war. Iran denies involvement in the renewed Yemeni fighting. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran did not interfere in Yemeni affairs, describing the Houthis as independent actors who made decisions based on their own interests. The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said that the attack on Saudi Arabia was retaliation for Riyadh's airstrikes. The group has also threatened to widen the conflict to strategic waterways, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Later, Houthi missile attacks in western Yemen killed eight troops from forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government, according to two military sources cited by AFP. Several others were wounded in the attacks, which struck positions between Marib and Al-Jawf provinces. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of Yemenis. The UN migration agency said that 93,864 people had been forced to flee their homes since the renewed escalation began, highlighting the rapidly worsening humanitarian situation. The latest violence also complicated diplomatic efforts to contain the broader regional crisis. Oman had been due to host talks on Monday between Iran and Gulf states on negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil-shipping routes. Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi announced that the meeting had been postponed. Iran said the postponement had come at Saudi Arabia's request, accusing Riyadh of using the renewed Yemen conflict as a pretext to delay the talks. As the regional situation aggravates, oil prices surged. Benchmark Brent futures were trading around 1.6% higher at approximately $106 a barrel. Traders said a prolonged shutdown of Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline could remove as much as 4% of global oil supply from the market.