- Houthi forces fired missiles and drones at two Saudi oil facilities on the Red Sea, targeting Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu, in a major escalation of the US-Iran conflict.
- The attack came after the collapse of the 2022 truce and a Houthi declaration of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, followed by Saudi strikes on Hodeidah.
- Iran had been hit by 13 consecutive waves of US air strikes since July 11 after the IRGC attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz; an interim peace deal was declared dead.
- Iranian officials confirmed the two sides are exchanging messages via mediators, but there is much progress yet due to fundamental differences and deep mistrust.
Houthi forces in Yemen have escalated their conflict with Saudi Arabia by launching missile and drone strikes on key oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, as tensions rise amid the ongoing US-Iran war.1256
The attacks, confirmed by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, come after a truce collapsed earlier this month following an incident at Sanaa airport.
“The interim peace agreement signed in June is dead,” said a source familiar with the negotiations, highlighting the deteriorating situation.
The Houthis had previously declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, prompting retaliatory strikes from Saudi forces on Hodeidah.34
The conflict has broader implications, as Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz have already disrupted global oil supplies, raising fears of a food security crisis in vulnerable nations.
“If both the Bab al-Mandeb and Hormuz straits were blocked, the resulting supply chain crisis would cause major economic damage across the world,” warned analysts.
Despite the escalating violence, there are tentative signs of communication between the US and Iran, with Trump stating, “They are talking to us right now; they’d love to make a deal.”
As the situation develops, the potential for a wider conflict looms, intertwining with other global crises, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The Houthi strikes come after the collapse of a 2022 truce and a declared naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, followed by Saudi strikes on Hodeidah. Meanwhile, tentative signs of diplomacy persist as Washington and Tehran exchange messages through mediators, with President Trump stating he is willing to listen.”
