Trump vows to punish Iran for Houthi attacks in Red Sea, as oil surges over US$100

US President Donald Trump promised on Thursday “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies, after the Yemeni fighters struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint.Fears that disruption could widen further to block another sea route sent global oil prices surging in one of the steepest rises of the war. Brent crude rose more than 6 per cent, breaking through US$100 a ‌barrel for the first time since May.Two weeks since the effective collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, the US military launched another round of air strikes on Iran overnight into Thursday, prompting Iran to fire at neighbouring Arab countries that house US bases.