Houthi attacks raise fears of wider Middle East conflict and more global economic damage - BBC News

The Iran-backed group in Yemen has threatened to target Saudi vessels in a vital shipping route.

Image source, NASA Worldview/ReutersImage caption, Attacks launched from Yemen could disrupt the vital Bab El Mandeb Strait shipping route, further restricting global trade

Yemen's Houthi fighters claim to have attacked shipping in the Red Sea - a move that threatens to further escalate the already volatile situation in the Middle East.

By forcing ships to turn back from the narrow Bab El Mandeb strait, they have threatened to choke off the main maritime route from Europe to Asia.

It comes as US-Iran strikes continue and while a deal to develop Saudi Arabia's nuclear industry prompts fears of an arms race.

So is the Middle East becoming more dangerous?