Saudi Arabia launched what it called a proportionate response against Houthi military targets in Yemen after missiles were fired toward Saudi cities, while President Donald Trump weighed a major escalation against Iran following a pause in U.S. strikes.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensified Saturday after the group claimed responsibility for missile attacks targeting southern Saudi Arabia, adding another front to a regional conflict already threatening major oil-shipping routes.
Saudi air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles launched from Yemen after the Houthis fired toward Jizan, according to reports citing Greek security sources. Authorities also issued warnings for Yanbu, a Red Sea port city north of Jizan, before later announcing that the immediate danger had passed.
No damage was immediately reported.
The missile launches followed Houthi attacks on two Saudi-flagged oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the week. The group said it was imposing a blockade on Saudi Arabia, placing further pressure on regional oil exports as wartime disruptions also affect traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia responded by striking Houthi positions inside Yemen.
Saudi Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki described the operation as “a firm, resolute, and proportionate military response.”
“The targets focused solely on legitimate military targets that the terrorist Houthi militia uses to threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” Al-Malki said.
The escalation came days after President Donald Trump warned the Houthis and as his administration considered whether to expand the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
Iran reported no new American strikes overnight into Saturday, marking the first apparent pause after 13 consecutive nights of attacks. The halt came while Trump continued evaluating a potentially larger military operation.
U.S. officials have maintained that Iran is “begging” for an agreement, though no breakthrough had been announced.
Oil markets eased Friday amid the possibility of renewed diplomacy. Brent crude, the global benchmark, retreated to about $96 per barrel following reports that Pakistan was exploring a new round of U.S.-Iran negotiations with encouragement from China.
Questions about Iran’s long-term nuclear intentions also intensified after reports that American intelligence agencies view the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, as more receptive to developing a nuclear weapon than his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei.
The elder Khamenei had maintained that nuclear weapons were prohibited under a religious fatwa.
U.S. officials reportedly believe Iran has not resumed uranium enrichment, although some equipment has been transferred to the heavily fortified underground installation known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Maritime tensions also spread into the Gulf of Oman, where the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations organization warned commercial vessels about a reported encounter involving a tanker and military forces.
The advisory did not identify the tanker’s country of registration or specify which military forces were involved. UKMTO said the incident remained under investigation and urged ships in the area to “consider the latest maritime security information and maintain awareness of the evolving operational environment.”
The warning coincided with a report that U.S. Central Command had disabled the motor tanker Lavine after the vessel allegedly attempted to evade the American naval blockade of Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
The latest developments underscore the growing threat to two critical maritime corridors. Houthi attacks are placing pressure on Red Sea shipping, while military operations involving Iran have constrained traffic through and around the Strait of Hormuz.
As Saudi Arabia strikes Houthi positions in Yemen and the United States weighs a larger attack on Iran, the conflict is increasingly affecting commercial vessels, oil markets and military operations across the region.
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