Around 76,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in July, according to the UN. The IOM says displacement has surged fourfold in the past week, with Taiz province accounting for nearly 50,000 displaced people amid intensifying fighting.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran did not start the recent war but was forced to defend itself against U.S. and Israeli aggression. He rejected claims that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, accused Washington of undermining ceasefire negotiations, and called for stronger economic and regional cooperation, including closer ties with India and BRICS.
Saudi Arabia has warned residents in areas near Abha and Khamis Mushait of possible attacks amid escalating fighting between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The warning was later withdrawn, as tensions intensified along the Yemen-Saudi border and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Iraq has confirmed that a drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia’s major East-West oil pipeline was launched from Maysan province, prompting Baghdad to remove a military commander and launch an investigation. Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut the pipeline, while pressure mounts on Iraq to act against Iranian-backed militias.
Iran-backed Houthi forces have seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline and three strategic islands, strengthening their control over the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait. The advance could enhance their ability to target Saudi oil tankers and further disrupt regional maritime trade.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is nearing the “collapse of the regime” in Iran, while Israel’s expanding military presence on Mount Hermon in southern Syria highlights the mountain’s critical strategic, military and water-resource importance.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made two calls to President Donald Trump urging U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but Trump rejected the request, according to Axios, as Washington remains focused on Iran and protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain’s military chief says more than 500,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with total Russian military casualties estimated at around 1.5 million.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States will see its war against Iran through to its logical conclusion, claiming that Iranian leaders, military forces and defense systems have been severely weakened and vowing that Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.
