Iran warns Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks raise regional tensions

DUBAI: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned Saudi Arabia that it will struggle to contain Yemen’s Houthi movement, as attacks linked to the group add a new layer of uncertainty to an already volatile Middle East.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said Saudi Arabia would not be able to prevent further Houthi attacks if it continued military operations against Yemen’s Iran-aligned movement.

“Saudi Arabia will certainly be unable to contain Yemen and Ansarullah or remain safe from their attacks,” Mohebi was quoted as saying by Defa Press.

He argued that recent developments had demonstrated the risks of escalating military action, saying that the more Saudi Arabia attacked, the more it would face attacks in return.

The warning comes as the broader confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues to send shockwaves across the region. Yemen, which has remained at the centre of a long-running conflict, is once again becoming a major flashpoint amid growing tensions involving Gulf states and regional armed groups.

The Houthis have already resumed attacks against Saudi targets after a years-long period of relative calm. In July, the group fired missiles towards Saudi Arabia after accusing Riyadh of military action against Houthi-controlled areas. Saudi authorities said the missiles were intercepted.

The escalation has since extended beyond missile launches. The Houthis have claimed attacks against Saudi energy infrastructure and announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about the possible impact on shipping and global energy markets.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has warned of the possibility of coordinated attacks from both northern and southern directions, including threats from Iraqi militias and the Houthis. A senior Saudi official said intelligence indicated that energy facilities, ports and airports could be among potential targets.

Tehran steps up economic rhetoric

Alongside the warnings over Yemen, Iranian officials have intensified their criticism of US economic pressure.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US President Donald Trump of using threats against countries supporting Iran as a diversion from Washington’s own economic problems, including rising debt and interest costs.

Araghchi described the US approach as “economic terrorism” and argued that continued pressure would harm the global economy and undermine the sovereignty of other countries.

Trump has warned that countries providing Iran with what he described as “any type of lifeline” could face severe economic consequences. His warning extends to financial institutions, businesses, airports and government entities that assist Tehran.

The threat comes as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Iran amid a conflict that has disrupted energy markets and commercial shipping routes.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that economic pressure could force Tehran to change course. Iranian officials, however, have rejected the idea that sanctions or military pressure will force the country to surrender.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the United States was heading towards another failure and argued that military pressure had not achieved its intended objectives.

“The military war didn’t yield results, so now they’ve named the next failure ‘economic war’,” he said in a statement posted on social media.

Iraq becomes another regional arena

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has also blamed Washington for instability across the region, including disruptions to energy routes in the Persian Gulf.

During a visit to Baghdad, Ghalibaf met Iraqi officials and stressed the importance of closer relations between Iran and Iraq. His comments came as concerns grew over the involvement of armed groups operating in Iraq and their alleged coordination with Iran-aligned forces.

Earlier reports suggested that Houthi-linked attacks against Saudi Arabia may have involved operations launched from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups. The reports highlighted the increasingly interconnected nature of armed groups operating across the region.

For Saudi Arabia, the prospect of attacks from multiple directions creates a difficult security challenge. The kingdom has invested heavily in air defence and critical infrastructure protection, but attacks involving drones and missiles remain a persistent concern.

Shipping and oil markets remain vulnerable

The latest escalation is also being closely watched by energy traders.

The Houthis’ position along the Red Sea gives them the ability to threaten shipping routes connecting the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. At the same time, the wider Iran-US confrontation has severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, another crucial energy chokepoint.

Recent reports indicate that shipping activity through Hormuz has fallen sharply, while oil companies have been looking for alternative routes to keep supplies moving. Saudi Aramco has offered some Asian refiners crude through routes designed to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, while other producers have explored alternative export arrangements.

Oil prices have consequently remained sensitive to developments in the region. Brent crude recently climbed above $91 a barrel as concerns over prolonged disruption to Middle Eastern supplies increased.

The situation creates a delicate balancing act for Gulf governments. Any major attack on oil infrastructure or shipping could quickly affect global prices, insurance costs and transportation routes.

Yemen faces another dangerous turn

The renewed confrontation is particularly concerning for Yemen, which has endured years of war, economic collapse and humanitarian suffering.

The United Nations has warned that Yemen is facing its most serious risk of returning to large-scale conflict since the 2022 truce. Houthi attacks and fighting involving Saudi-backed forces have increased, while renewed assaults on commercial shipping threaten to pull the country deeper into the wider regional confrontation.

Humanitarian conditions remain fragile, with millions of Yemenis already facing severe food insecurity. A new escalation could disrupt aid deliveries, damage infrastructure and further restrict access to food, fuel and medical supplies.

Iran executes man over protest-related charges

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that authorities executed a man identified as Qaem Hosseini over charges connected to nationwide protests in January.

State media described Hosseini as a foreign national and alleged that he participated in events linked to the deaths of security personnel. The execution adds another contentious issue to Tehran’s confrontation with Western governments, which have repeatedly criticised Iran’s treatment of protesters and detainees.

A widening confrontation

The latest developments suggest that the Iran-US confrontation is no longer confined to direct exchanges between Washington and Tehran.

From Yemen and Iraq to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, multiple fronts are becoming intertwined. The Houthis’ renewed attacks threaten Saudi security and maritime trade, while Iran’s economic confrontation with Washington is placing additional pressure on countries that maintain commercial ties with Tehran.

For Saudi Arabia, the immediate challenge is preventing the Yemen conflict from becoming another major front in the wider regional war. For Iran, maintaining pressure on its adversaries while resisting economic isolation remains a central objective.

And for global markets, the biggest concern is whether the growing number of flashpoints can be contained before another attack disrupts the oil and shipping routes on which the world economy depends.