The Iranian-backed Houthis said they conducted a drone attack against an Aramco refinery in Jazan, southwestern Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. According to Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the group, the strike was carried out in retaliation for Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada. The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed a fire at the facility but reported no casualties and did not specify the cause.
A Yemeni government official also reported that Houthis fired missiles and drones at the Mocha port on the Red Sea, a key facility under Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The latest attacks represent an escalation that threatens to reignite the country’s civil war more than four years after a 2022 truce halted major fighting. The Houthis have continued a pattern of missile and drone assaults targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Iran has announced new preconditions for resuming negotiations with the United States, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that talks cannot restart until violations of a memorandum of understanding are addressed. The Supreme National Security Council issued a list of demands including permanent cessation of hostilities, lifting of naval blockades, military withdrawal from the region, full compensation for war damages, and unconditional release of frozen assets. The U.S. had no immediate response to the statement.
Iran and Oman are negotiating a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and natural gas. The proposed arrangement would establish separate entry and exit routes for vessels and operate without fees during an interim period. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the deal is expected to be jointly announced by Iran, Oman, the United States, and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization once finalized, though terms remain subject to change.
The Pentagon announced efforts to accelerate weapons production to address military stockpile depletion caused by the five-month conflict. Defense department officials stated the accelerated acquisitions aim to provide warfighters with needed munitions at an increased pace, with the push described as part of a broader modernization effort.
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