THE Iran-US war widened into Yemen on Monday as Iran-backed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones towards Saudi oil facilities, while government-aligned forces stepped up strikes against Houthi positions and a separate maritime incident raised fresh concerns over the security of shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb.
Oil prices climbed amid renewed supply fears, with Brent crude rising 0.79% to US$103.06 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate gaining 0.50% to US$91.57, as the latest attacks underscored the risk of the conflict spreading across the Middle East's key energy and shipping routes.
President Rashad al-Alimi said Yemen's government would seek to retake territory still held by the Houthis, while government-aligned forces reported strikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada.
The escalation came as Tehran rejected US demands and called for movement on the Strait of Hormuz, warning that it was "more prepared than before" should Washington again resort to military force.
The strategic waterway remained another flashpoint after a commercial tanker was reportedly hit by an unknown projectile, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report of multiple explosions near a tanker about 60 nautical miles south of Al Mukha, Yemen.
The crew was safe and there was no reported environmental impact, with authorities investigating the incident and vessels in the area advised to proceed with caution.
Foreign news agencies reported on Monday that the developments added to mounting pressure on global energy markets as the conflict threatens two critical maritime corridors — the Strait of Hormuz, through which a major share of global oil shipments passes, and the Bab el-Mandeb, a key route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Separately, the US Department of War confirmed that American bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in England had been redeployed to their home stations in the United States as authorities investigated a suspected terrorist plot targeting the base.
Six people were arrested following the Sept 27 security incident, including a dual British-Iranian national suspected of preparing terrorist acts.
The department said the redeployment involved all US bombers stationed at Fairford, including B-1, B-2 and B-52 aircraft, while a US official said about a dozen B-1 bombers had been moved.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected reports that Tehran's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly had been expelled from the United States.
"All Iranian diplomats who attended the U.N. General Assembly, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled," Araghchi said on X.
His comments followed reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had demanded on Sept 28 that the Iranian delegation leave the country after the General Assembly as talks between Washington and Tehran stalled.
Araghchi said portraying the departure as a diplomatic expulsion was inappropriate and inconsistent with US obligations as host of the United Nations.
In Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said it had killed Saqr Nabil Musa Qaisi, whom it identified as a Hamas Nukhba operative who had served as director of Turkish aid organisation Deniz Feneri.
The IDF alleged that Qaisi had participated in the Oct 7 attack and later used the organisation's purported humanitarian activities to support Hamas-linked networks and activities targeting Israeli civilians and troops.
The claims could not be independently verified. - October 5, 2026
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