Iran-backed Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia as regional tensions escalate

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack on the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Saturday, after vowing retaliation against the kingdom for attacks this week. Iran, meanwhile, reported no strikes overnight on Saturday for the first time after two weeks of US attacks. However, tensions remain high, with the Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, saying 'Iran had a peaceful night' in a post on X. The US president, Donald Trump, threatened expanded strikes on Iran, meeting with top national security advisers on Friday to decide whether the administration should escalate attacks. He has warned he could widen the scope of targets in Iran to include civilian infrastructure, such as Iranian energy plants and bridges, as well as launch a ground operation to seize Kharg Island. 'There's a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it's knocking out everything they have. Or there's a smarter strategy that you make a deal,' Trump told reporters on Friday. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the 'American approach' was preventing peace talks from proceeding, while vowing Iran was 'neither intimidated by threats nor will we yield to pressure'. Oil prices pushed past $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since May, while the cost of shipping insurance through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies.