Saudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh since Houthis escalated attacks

The attacks on Saudi oil assets have directly impacted global energy markets and the price of petrol and diesel in many countries has sharply risen in recent weeks, compounding already elevated costs caused by the blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, has personally asked US President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US media partner.Trump has so far declined to involve the US military directly, offering instead to assist with intelligence and targeting support, the sources said.A senior Trump administration official told the BBC: "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability."Earlier this week, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Houthis had launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the past week.The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, during which both Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia called for more decisive action against the Houthis, who they accused of choking the Bab al-Mandab Strait as a way of applying economic pressure.Council members agreed that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be maintained to prevent disruption to global supply chains.Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the government from the capital, Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015, after the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government's rule.