U.S.
President Donald Trump said he hoped an end to the war against Iran was near, as the conflict, in its seventh month, escalated with Saudi aircraft pounding Yemen and Houthi fighters launching drones and missiles at Saudi cities.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had launched fresh drone and missile strikes on the major Saudi Red Sea oil port of Yanbu and at a southern Saudi airbase at Khamis Mushait. Officials in the Saudi-backed government that controls southern Yemen have acknowledged that their forces and those of Saudi Arabia were conducting air strikes on Houthi positions, though Riyadh has not confirmed them. “They want to make a deal. Mr. Trump would meet with leaders or Foreign Ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The State Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. He did not say when the strikes had taken place.
As the war expands into a new theatre, the United States tightened its travel warning for Saudi Arabia, banning government employees from travelling within 30 km (20 miles) of the Yemen border. Traders say a prolonged closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could cut off as much as 4% of global oil supply . Houthi military spokesman Saree said the Saudis had carried out as many as 450 air strikes on Yemen this week.
We’ll see how that works out,” he said, referring to Iran, reiterating past comments. Trump also said he had heard from Iran “directly”, without elaborating. Saudi Arabia has not said when operations might resume. Citing sources it did not identify, the news outlet said Mr.
