Yemen fighting escalates as Israel, US weigh new strikes on Iran

Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group traded threats of retaliation on Tuesday as cross-border strikes on major cities and oil facilities continued, while Israel and the US reportedly discussed the possibility of renewing strikes against Iran before Israeli parliamentary elections.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense said early on Wednesday that four people were injured and 15 residential homes were damaged after debris from two intercepted cruise missiles fell in the capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

A Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, was targeted on Tuesday evening, causing a limited fire, the Saudi Press Agency reported early on Wednesday.

The Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday night that it had intercepted multiple missiles and drones over eastern and southern Saudi Arabia.

It also reported intercepting a ballistic missile targeting an administrative center in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province.

The coalition urged civilians to evacuate the Yemen Petroleum Company's Al-Sabaha Central Station in Houthi-held Sanaa, describing the targeted facilities as vital resources used by the Houthis to support their military operations in areas including Sanaa and Hodeidah.

Meanwhile, the Houthis said on Tuesday that Saudi warplanes and missiles carried out 104 strikes across areas held by the group over the past 24 hours.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed the attacks caused civilian casualties without giving specific figures.

The intensifying conflict is adding to the hardships faced by displaced people in Yemen, who face food shortages and health risks, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Basic supplies in Taiz City are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive," said the OCHA.

"Petrol prices have tripled and cooking gas is largely unavailable.

Food prices have reportedly risen by about 50%, and current wheat and flour supplies could run out in less than three weeks." The office said that the basic health of families is increasingly at risk with overcrowded displacement sites, inadequate access to clean water and minimal health services.

The OCHA added that the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have provided emergency assistance to nearly 148,000 people across Yemen since hostilities began in August.

Beyond Yemen, tensions involving Iran have also raised the prospect of renewed military action by the US and Israel.