War, latest news. Shutdown of Saudi oil pipeline threatens to cause a 4 per cent drop in global oil supply

The Israeli army has carried out further air strikes near the al-Dabsha hill in southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese National News Agency, which added that the IDF struck the area on the outskirts of the Nabatieh district twice in less than 30 minutes.

Yemeni government forces are attempting to recapture territory near the city of Mocha from the Houthis, through air raids, after Saudi fighter jets bombed several areas that had fallen under the control of the Ansar Allah rebels, including the central and northern provinces of the country, in an attempt to prevent further Houthi advances. Government-controlled areas, such as Madhab, are a stronghold and are considered the economic hub of Yemen. Whoever controls them controls the country’s revenue. So far, the Houthis have failed to capture the city. However, clashes have been reported on the outskirts of Madhab, north-east of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. Meanwhile, in the south of the country, attacks have taken place against Houthi military positions in Taiz. The Yemeni group’s strategy is to operate covertly, seizing territory, setting up underground bunkers and then evacuating the area to avoid Saudi air raids.

The latest military developments along Yemen’s western coast deserve to be viewed from a broader perspective than one strictly linked to the country’s internal conflict. Mokha is not merely a Yemeni port city. Nor is Bab el-Mandeb simply a strait situated at the southern end of the Red Sea. What is happening today in this area directly affects the security of the shipping routes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, the operation of the Suez Canal, Egypt’s economic interests, Europe’s energy security and, inevitably, Italia too. Following days of fighting in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz, Houthi forces have extended their presence southwards, as far as Mokha, whilst government forces and their allies have redeployed part of their units to the area of Dhubab, even closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The very latest reports indicate that Houthi troops are on the outskirts of Dhubab itself. Setting aside military interpretations and the accounts provided by the parties involved, the strategically significant fact is clear: the centre of gravity of the Yemeni conflict is shifting towards one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.

According to reports from the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, as cited by Al Jazeera, an Iranian merchant vessel was rammed near Hengam Island and off the coast of Shib Deraz, on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in one death and three injuries. This was stated by the governor of Qeshm, Hossein Amir Teymouri. At present, the origin of the attack has not been specified nor has anyone claimed responsibility for it.

The crisis in the Gulf is escalating, with Riyadh forced to temporarily shut down the key East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack originating from Iraq – a safe haven for pro-Tehran militias that form part of the Iranian ‘Axis of Resistance’. Just like the Houthis in Yemen. No one has claimed responsibility for the raid, which caused a number of injuries and damage that is still being assessed. However, Donald Trump, who had flown to Ireland for a golf tournament at one of his resorts, has already pointed the finger at the Ayatollahs, stating that Iran is likely responsible for the attack.

The tycoon also reiterated that the war in Iran will end after the mid-term elections, when oil prices will plummet, and hinted that he will not intervene against the Yemeni rebels despite their capture of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important routes for the transport of oil from the Gulf to the Mediterranean.

The Houthis have captured the strategic island of Mayyun, also known as Perim Island, thereby consolidating their control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Yemeni rebels have also seized US-made military equipment worth millions of dollars.

A pregnant woman has died from injuries sustained after being shot by Israeli forces three days ago in the south of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. According to data from UN Women cited by the same source, as reported by Al Jazeera, the war in Gaza has killed more than 38,000 women and girls, whilst a further 11,000 have suffered injuries that will result in permanent disabilities. Meanwhile, according to medical sources, the number of miscarriages in the Strip is on the rise.

In the face of the daily toll of deaths and injuries, the words of the President of the United States ring hollow: Donald Trump: ‘We’ve put out the fire and brought all the hostages back. Very little is happening in Gaza at the moment,’ Trump said whilst speaking to journalists in Ireland. ‘It’s incredible. The parents of the hostages who died knew they were dead. They wanted their sons or daughters back, and in the end we brought them all home,” he added. “If you look at Gaza, a lot of good relationships are being forged right now. I think we’ve done a brilliant job,” concluded Trump, describing US efforts in the Strip as “extraordinary”.

More than 1,400 people have fled from Yemen to Djibouti in just 24 hours. This is according to local authorities, whilst Houthi forces were tightening their grip on the Red Sea coast and the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Djibouti’s Minister for the Economy and Finance, Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, revealed the figure in a post on X, writing that the refugees had arrived “from Yemen in just 24 hours”. The influx of migrants further exacerbates the displacement crisis in Yemen, where, according to the United Nations, at least 76,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since July – a figure that has quadrupled in the last week due to the resumption of fighting. Houthi fighters, who are allied with Iran and already control a significant portion of northern Yemen, including the capital Sana’a and the western city of Hodeida, have advanced rapidly along the country’s coastline in recent days.

Houthi fighters said today that they had used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia, whilst the resumption of clashes with Yemeni government forces has forced a growing number of civilians to flee. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated on X that the attack on the southern base of Sharurah targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres managing the aggression against our nation and our people”. The date of the operation was not specified. Clashes have intensified this week between the Houthis, who are allied with Iran, and Yemeni government forces, backed by Riyadh.