Iran war spreads to Red Sea and Caspian, Gulf quiet as US forgoes strikes

HEADLINE: Iran war spreads to Red Sea and Caspian, Gulf quiet as US forgoes strikes (Reuters, July 25, 2026)

The Iran war broadened over the weekend despite a pause in U.S. strikes, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast and Iran accused Ukraine of attacking one of its vessels in the Caspian Sea. The U.S. military said on Saturday its naval blockade against Iran 'remains in full effect' but did not explain why it halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes. Asked about the pause, a senior official in President Donald Trump's administration said Trump 'has always been clear that his preference is diplomacy, but he has shown Iran what will happen if they fail to come to the table in a serious way.' Trump has decided, for now, to back away from plans to ramp up attacks on Iran, the New York Times said on Saturday, citing two people briefed on the discussion. Vice President JD Vance and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both raised concerns about the U.S. munitions stockpile with Trump during a White House meeting on Friday, a U.S. official told CNN. Operations are 'on a hold,' a Department of Defense source told CNN on Saturday. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group struck sites belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco in the cities of Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday. A large column of smoke rose from the direction of the Aramco refinery in Jizan. Two Asia-based trading sources said they had been informed of potential damage to fuel and oil storage sites at Jizan. In Yanbu, two missiles aimed at oil installations were intercepted. The Houthis have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia over the past week.