Houthi Strikes Send Oil Past $100

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, opening a dangerous new front in the Middle East conflict and sending international oil prices surging past $100 a barrel.

The Houthis threatened to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a vital global trade route, further straining energy supplies already disrupted by the Iran war.

President Donald Trump responded by warning that the U.S. would inflict 'major military punishment' on Iran if the Houthis attacked another ship, holding Tehran responsible for its proxies' actions.

The escalation came as the U.S. military launched its 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, with Trump telling Axios he was considering a 'massive attack' on Iran 'bigger than ever before.'