Overview
- The Houthis launched new waves of missiles and drones that hit southern Saudi targets, and they captured Perim plus other Red Sea islands to strengthen control over the Bab el‑Mandeb shipping approach.
- Saudi Arabia’s East‑West pipeline was taken out of service after recent drone strikes, removing a key bypass of the Strait of Hormuz and forcing more crude to move through contested waters.
- Planned Oman‑hosted talks between Iran and Gulf states on managing passage through the Strait of Hormuz were postponed, and Iran’s IRGC has publicly asserted control of the strait while U.S. CENTCOM and Iran have issued conflicting accounts of damage to the Panama‑flagged tanker El Gaia.
- Global oil benchmarks have risen above $100 a barrel because of the combined pressure on Hormuz and the Red Sea route, with analysts warning inventories could fall to critically low levels and saying prices might need to reach roughly $150 to curb demand in a severe disruption scenario.
- Washington has so far limited its role to intelligence and support rather than direct strikes, regional fighting has displaced tens of thousands of Yemenis, and Gulf states face urgent choices about military, diplomatic and insurance steps that will shape near‑term energy and humanitarian outcomes.