US Blocks Iran as Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Facilities

The United States expanded its naval blockade of Iran to include land-based supply routes, while simultaneously disabling the St. Kitts-flagged cargo vessel M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman. United States Central Command reported that a military aircraft used precision munitions to disable the ship after its crew ignored warnings and attempted to violate the blockade following a visit to an Iranian port. Since July, the command has redirected 147 vessels and disabled five merchant ships.

In response to regional tensions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that two oil tankers struck naval mines in and east of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC claimed the vessels used unauthorized routes and warned that any ship cooperating with the U.S. military would definitely hit mines. Concurrently, Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in the cities of Jask, Sirik, and Bandar Abbas.

Meanwhile, Houthi rebels launched a series of missile and drone operations against Saudi Arabia, targeting King Khalid International Airport and Aramco oil facilities in Riyadh and Khurais. Ballistic missiles targeted the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, where falling shrapnel damaged an Aramco administrative tower. While Saudi air defenses intercepted several missiles, the attacks followed a period of heightened security alerts in eastern cities like Dammam and Dhahran. The escalation follows the collapse of a 2022 truce and recent Saudi airstrikes near Sana'a that killed dozens of people.