Another Tanker Suffers Blast in Saudi Port

In what has become an almost weekly occurrence, an oil tanker docking in a Saudi port was again hit by a mysterious weapon on Monday, in what authorities believe was yet another missile or mine attack by the neighboring Yemeni Houthi movement. The Singapore-flagged vessel caught fire and suffered a blast after being hit during its stay at Jeddah port. All 22 men on board managed to escape unharmed while putting out the blaze. In late November, two back-to-back explosions in a Greek tanker docking in another Saudi port and a Saudi oil facility were blamed on the Yemeni rebel group, on which Riyadh has waged war in recent years. In 2014, the Iran-backed Houthis ousted President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in a civil war that has since evolved into a regional conflict. A coalition of Arab and African nations led by Saudi Arabia and supported by American advisers has attempted to reinstate the toppled leader and curb what they fear will be Iranian control of Sanaa. The war has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today, according to the United Nations.