Houthis Launch Fresh Missile, Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has launched a fresh missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions as the group expands its military presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and moves closer to the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis said on Sunday that they had fired ballistic missiles and drones at the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia, claiming the attack targeted weapons depots and command-and-control facilities.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used a large barrage of missiles and drones in the operation and claimed that the weapons struck their intended targets.

He described the attack as a response to continuing Saudi military operations against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and warned that further strikes deeper inside Saudi Arabia could follow if those operations continued. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the Houthi claim concerning the Sharurah military base. (Anadolu Ajansı)

The latest claim came shortly after Saudi authorities reported that a projectile had landed in Al-Tuwal governorate in the Jazan region, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and other property.

Saudi Civil Defence said emergency teams responded to the incident and dealt with the damage caused by the projectile. The Jazan attack adds to a series of recent strikes on southern Saudi Arabia as the confrontation between the kingdom and the Houthis intensifies. (Al Jazeera)

The renewed attacks follow a much larger wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory earlier in the week.

Saudi authorities said at least 73 people were injured in those attacks, which affected cities and economic facilities in the kingdom’s south, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

The attacks also disrupted operations at some Saudi energy facilities, with fires reported at several sites. The developments have raised fresh concerns about the security of the world’s largest oil exporter at a time when regional energy supplies are already under severe pressure. (Reuters)

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The latest escalation is occurring against the backdrop of a major Houthi offensive inside Yemen.

Houthi forces have rapidly advanced along the country’s Red Sea coast, capturing the strategically important port city of Mocha and moving towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Reuters reported that Houthi forces had also reached Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, in the Bab el-Mandeb, after Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces withdrew from the island. Houthi forces were also reported to have taken the mainland coastal town of Dhubab, which faces Perim. (Reuters)

The development is strategically significant because the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major route for commercial vessels travelling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Any sustained Houthi control or disruption of the waterway could therefore affect international shipping, energy supplies and global trade.

The threat is particularly serious because the Strait of Hormuz, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, is already severely disrupted by the wider conflict involving Iran and the United States.

The simultaneous pressure on both maritime corridors could create major challenges for global energy markets.

Reuters reported that the Houthi advance has already increased concerns over Saudi oil exports, while oil prices have risen sharply amid fears that the conflict could disrupt additional supply routes. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on routes through the Red Sea to export crude after disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

That makes the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb particularly sensitive for Riyadh.

The Houthis have indicated that their maritime restrictions are focused on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, while the group’s growing military presence around the strait has raised wider concerns about freedom of navigation.

The United Nations has warned that the developments in Yemen represent a potentially more dangerous phase of the conflict.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the Security Council that the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb was creating serious concerns over navigation and the broader security situation.

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The Houthi movement has defended its operations as acts of self-defence and said its attacks would stop if attacks against Yemen ended.

Saudi Arabia, however, has accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilian and economic infrastructure and has vowed to protect its territory and vital national assets.

The current escalation is particularly significant because Saudi Arabia and the Houthis had largely avoided direct large-scale cross-border attacks following the 2022 UN-brokered truce.

That period of relative calm helped reduce violence along the Saudi-Yemeni border, although a comprehensive political settlement to Yemen’s war was never reached.

The latest fighting threatens to undo that progress.

The conflict also has a wider regional dimension because the Houthis are closely aligned with Iran, while Saudi Arabia remains a key US partner in the Gulf.

The United States has accused the Houthis of acting as an Iranian proxy, while Tehran has called for dialogue and rejected the idea that the Yemen conflict can be resolved through military action.

US President Donald Trump has meanwhile said the Houthis had contacted his administration and indicated that they wanted to avoid direct US involvement in Yemen. Trump has also spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid the worsening regional crisis. (Reuters)

The latest Houthi advances have placed Washington in a difficult strategic position.

According to Reuters, the group’s growing presence around the Bab el-Mandeb could threaten another major international shipping route while US military resources are already stretched by the wider conflict with Iran. (Reuters)

For Saudi Arabia, the immediate challenge is preventing further missile and drone attacks on populated areas, military installations and energy infrastructure.

The kingdom has increased security measures around vulnerable locations and has repeatedly warned that it will defend its territory and strategic assets.

For international markets, however, the biggest concern is the possible impact on oil supplies and global shipping.

The Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial route for ships travelling through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal. A prolonged disruption could force vessels to take longer routes around Africa, increasing fuel consumption, freight costs, insurance premiums and delivery times.

The latest developments are therefore being closely watched by shipping companies, energy traders and governments around the world.

The Houthi military advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast has also displaced civilians and deepened concerns over the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis.

The renewed fighting threatens to create further displacement and make the delivery of humanitarian assistance more difficult.

For Saudi Arabia, the attacks represent the most serious direct Houthi threat in years.

For the wider region, the combination of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the group’s advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb, and continuing instability around the Strait of Hormuz could create a new and more dangerous phase of the Middle East conflict.

The immediate situation remains fluid, with the Houthis threatening further attacks while Saudi Arabia maintains its right to respond.

The latest missile and drone strikes therefore mark more than another exchange between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. They are part of a rapidly expanding regional crisis with potential consequences for Middle East security, oil prices, maritime trade and global energy supplies.

Houthis Launch Fresh Missile, Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia

Sanders Urges Trump, Xi to Halt AI Race, Ban Superintelligence

Bernie Sanders is pushing for an international response to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, urging Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss limits on the technology when the two leaders meet.

The US senator believes Washington and Beijing should work towards a treaty that would stop the development of artificial superintelligence and temporarily slow the advancement of increasingly powerful AI systems.

Sanders’ latest intervention comes amid a growing debate within the technology industry over whether AI development is moving faster than safety measures can keep up.

Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic, recently called for companies to deliberately pace the development of frontier AI. He argued that increasingly capable systems could advance at a rate that makes them harder for humans to understand and control.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has backed Amodei’s call for stronger independent evaluation, while Elon Musk has also reiterated his long-standing concerns about the risks associated with advanced AI.

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Sanders said these warnings should prompt governments to act rather than leave decisions about the future of AI solely to technology companies.

His position is consistent with legislation he announced earlier this month alongside Representative Greg Casar. The proposed Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act would permanently prohibit superintelligent AI and impose a temporary pause on advanced AI development until safety rules are put in place.

The senator has pointed to recent AI-related cybersecurity incidents and concerns about self-improving systems as evidence of the need for stronger safeguards.

For Sanders, however, the issue goes beyond regulation of individual companies. He wants the US and China to cooperate internationally, arguing that a superintelligent system capable of operating beyond human control would pose a global risk regardless of where it was developed.

With Trump and Xi expected to discuss AI during their upcoming engagement, Sanders is pressing both governments to make the question of controlling advanced AI a priority.

Sanders Urges Trump, Xi to Halt AI Race, Ban Superintelligence

US Blockade Tightens As CENTCOM Redirects 100 Commercial Ships From Iranian Ports

American forces say no vessel has crossed blockade without permission as tensions mount around Strait of Hormuz

The United States has stepped up its maritime pressure on Iran, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcing that American forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels in the past 60 days as part of a blockade targeting Iranian ports.

CENTCOM disclosed the figure on Saturday, September 12, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran and growing disruption to commercial shipping in the Gulf region.

The development represents a significant escalation in the enforcement of the US maritime blockade, which has increasingly affected commercial vessels operating around Iran and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said its forces were enforcing the blockade and preventing vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports without American authorisation.

According to the command, no ship had passed through the blockade without US forces allowing it, underscoring the extent to which Washington says it has tightened control over maritime traffic linked to Iran.

The latest announcement means that the number of commercial vessels redirected by US forces has continued to climb rapidly. Earlier in September, CENTCOM said it had redirected 94 commercial vessels. By September 11, the figure had risen to 99 before reaching 100 the following day.

The vessels are understood to have been ordered to alter course rather than proceed towards Iranian ports. US authorities have previously said the blockade is aimed at restricting maritime trade with Iran and cutting off revenue to Tehran.

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The US Central Command has also documented cases in which American forces boarded or otherwise intercepted vessels suspected of attempting to violate the blockade.

The blockade has been backed by American naval and military assets operating in the region. US forces have reportedly boarded commercial vessels suspected of attempting to reach Iranian ports in violation of the restrictions.

In one reported case, an Iranian-flagged tanker was boarded after failing to comply with repeated warnings and was subsequently released after being searched and directed to change course.

Another commercial vessel was reportedly boarded in the Arabian Sea after American forces suspected it was attempting to transit to Iran. The vessel was later released after US authorities determined that its voyage would not include an Iranian port call.

The incidents demonstrate that Washington’s strategy goes beyond issuing warnings, with American forces prepared to intercept vessels suspected of breaching the restrictions.

The latest development has heightened concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes.

The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and serves as a major corridor for international energy shipments.

Shipping traffic through the strait has already fallen sharply amid the conflict. Reports indicate that only a small number of commodity vessels have been passing through the waterway compared with normal traffic levels.

The disruption has triggered concerns about the global supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, with the Strait of Hormuz normally carrying a substantial portion of global energy supplies.

The intensifying confrontation has also sent shockwaves through international energy markets. Oil prices have moved sharply higher as traders assess the possibility of prolonged disruption to tanker traffic around the Gulf.

The situation has raised fears that a wider confrontation involving Iran, the United States and other regional actors could further restrict energy supplies and push fuel prices higher globally.

For oil-dependent economies, including Nigeria, sustained disruption in the Gulf could have significant consequences through changes in crude prices, freight costs, inflation and domestic fuel prices.

The blockade is also placing additional pressure on Iran’s already strained economy. Reports from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas indicate that the maritime restrictions have affected commercial activity, with businesses, dock workers and other residents reportedly experiencing declining trade and worsening economic conditions.

The restrictions have reportedly affected imports, port operations and businesses dependent on maritime commerce. Washington’s broader strategy appears designed to increase the economic cost of Iran’s continued confrontation with the United States.

The latest US announcement comes against the backdrop of a much wider military confrontation involving Iran and the United States.

American forces have carried out attacks against Iranian military and oil-related targets, while Iran has retaliated against US interests in the region. The maritime dimension of the confrontation has further complicated the movement of commercial vessels through the Gulf.

With commercial vessels caught in the middle, shipping companies face increasing risks, while insurers and energy traders continue to closely monitor developments around the region.

The possibility of further restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz has become one of the biggest concerns for international shipping and energy markets.

For now, Washington says its forces will continue enforcing the blockade, while the latest figure from CENTCOM — 100 commercial vessels redirected in 60 days — signals that the maritime confrontation is showing no immediate sign of easing.

US Blockade Tightens As CENTCOM Redirects 100 Commercial Ships From Iranian Ports