The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that at least eight tankers have been attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz since last Monday, a stark reminder that the recent increase in exports from the volatile region rests on a series of fragile work-arounds. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe says drone and missile strikes have continued as the Middle East risks plunging deeper into war, with the Saudi-backed government of Yemen on Sunday announcing a major military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The announcement followed Houthi strikes on critical oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The attacks have underscored the unsettling reality for Persian Gulf oil exporters: U.S. forces have provided protection for ships seeking to transport oil through the Strait of Hormuz, but heightened risks continue to shadow the global energy trade. "Few expected a near closure of the world's most critical energy artery to last so long or its impact to spread so widely," Aramco chief executive officer Amin Nasser said Monday. He added, "This is one of the worst crises of my career, and my career is long." The price of Brent crude oil was little changed Monday, hovering around $102 (U.S.) a barrel.