Attack on Saudi oil fields: A broader view
As headlines made clear, the smoke billowing in Saudi Arabia – from an attack Saturday on the world’s largest oil processing facility – was a global security nightmare come true.
Oil prices surged as Saudi oil output was cut in half amid the flames. The United States immediately blamed Iran for an attack claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
But the story behind the headlines is how the Middle East’s map of violence is being transformed, because this unprecedented strike is only the latest escalatory salvo in an expanding regional power struggle between the U.S. and its allies on one side, and on the other Iran and its proxy forces.
The conflict has simmered for years. But the primary catalyst bringing it toward a full boil?
Partial list of clashes