Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces have launched drone strikes targeting four Saudi cities, according to Legit.ng, igniting oil installations and releasing video of the attacks. The escalation comes amid rising tensions in the Gulf and a broader Middle East conflict, pushing Brent crude prices above $99 per barrel. Saudi Arabia, described as a top United States ally, has faced repeated Houthi attacks on its energy infrastructure in past years. The reported strikes signal a further intensification of regional hostilities.

TimesLIVE has published an explainer profiling the Houthis, a group described as Iran's allies in Yemen. The piece comes amid renewed conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which has raised fears that the fighting could contribute to wider instability across the Middle East. The explainer aims to outline who the Houthis are and their relationship with Iran, providing background context for readers following the escalating tensions in the region.

Houthi rebels in Yemen accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on a prison in the northern city of Hazm in Jawf province, killing seven people, including a child, according to the group. The strike on the Central Corrective Facility reportedly wounded at least seven others, including a woman. The accusation comes amid escalating tensions between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.

Fighting between Yemen's government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi movement is raising fears that the country could return to full-scale war, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet examines the current state of the long-running conflict, which has pitted the internationally recognised government against the Houthis for years. Renewed clashes have heightened concerns that fragile de-escalation efforts could collapse, deepening a crisis that has already caused widespread humanitarian suffering across Yemen.

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched strikes against Houthi positions on Yemen's western coast, intensifying their counteroffensive against the group, according to Al Jazeera. The reported escalation marks a renewed push by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who control much of the country's north including the capital Sanaa. The fighting adds to the long-running conflict in Yemen, which has drawn in regional powers and caused a severe humanitarian crisis.

Fighting in Yemen is intensifying as government-aligned forces launch counterattacks against the Houthis, whom Al Jazeera describes as Iran-backed, with battles reported around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The escalation threatens one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, raising concerns for shipping and regional security. Details on casualties, territorial control and the scale of operations were not provided in the source material.