Yemen escalates into wider regional conflict as government launches offensive

Photo — Ahmed akacha / Pexels

The escalation comes amid an already widening Middle East conflict involving Iran, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Yemeni government says its campaign aims to regain control of the entire country, while Houthi officials report extensive Saudi strikes on Sanaa and other provinces. Ongoing hostilities have displaced more than 145,000 people, according to the United Nations Population Fund, and the confrontation is contributing to volatility in global oil markets, with Brent crude reported above $100 a barrel. The scale and cross-border nature of the fighting make the Yemen escalation the most consequential developing international story identified in current reports.

Sources: Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, CBS News, Xinhua, Al Jazeera