The conflict in the Middle East has shown signs of widening as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh attacks, fuelling concerns violence could spread into another important maritime region.
Hostilities between Saudi forces and the Houthis have ramped up as Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes against Houthi positions on Friday, prompting the militant group to launch retaliatory attacks the following day.
The latest exchange follows Houthi attacks earlier this week on several Saudi commercial vessels travelling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The route is one of the world’s most significant shipping lanes, handling around five per cent of global maritime trade.
On Saturday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a large-scale assault on Saudi energy infrastructure, saying they fired dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at facilities operated by state-owned oil company Aramco in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan.
“The first targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. And the second operation targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Yanbu with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” the statement said.
“The operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks be to God.
“We confirm the blockade on the Saudi enemy is still ongoing in response to their aggression.
“We will not hesitate to expand our operations and escalate our actions based on developments in the coming hours and days.”
Iran has continued to distance itself from the latest attacks, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying the violence in Yemen should not be viewed as being directed by Tehran.
“We believe that there is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab, and other regional issues,” he said, according to the state-run Iran Daily newspaper.
The renewed fighting has heightened concerns that the broader confrontation involving the US, Iran and Tehran’s regional allies could increasingly affect critical shipping routes and further destabilise the Middle East.
Meanwhile, after 13 consecutive nights of US military operations targeting Iran, there were no new American strikes reported overnight.
There was no immediate explanation from from the US of why it had abruptly halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes since an interim deal to end hostilities collapsed, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“It seems that our dear Iran had a peaceful night last night,” Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on X.
After the quiet night in Iran, there were also no reports on Saturday of attacks from Iran on its Gulf neighbours, which have also been taking place daily in response to the US attacks.
In Iran, a top official rejected Donald Trump’s earlier claims that negotiations between the two countries was “getting more serious”.
“Our war with the enemy is a war of attrition, one that will not end,” the military official – named by Iranian media as General Asadi – said Saturday.
“We ask God that the ground forces of the aggressor American army find themselves in a position where we can engage them on the ground.”
The comments come after Mr Trump suggested Iran would “love to make a deal” but he didn’t believe they are prepared to do so just yet.
“I don’t think it’s time yet, but I’m willing to listen,” the president said at a White House Correspondents’ dinner on Friday.
with Reuters
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