Trump warns of major military response if Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers continue

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Thursday that any repeat of recent Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea would trigger a "major military punishment" against both the Iran-backed Yemeni militia and Iran itself. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the United States had previously struck the Houthis for interfering with commerce and that the group was acting as a proxy for Tehran. He said the United States would hold Iran responsible and would target it militarily if the attacks resumed.

The statement came after the Houthis claimed to have hit two Saudi tankers, citing a maritime blockade they announced earlier in the week. France’s foreign ministry described the attacks as “irresponsible and a serious escalation,” and the European Union’s foreign policy chief called on the Houthis to cease all actions that endanger international shipping.

In a separate development, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that the broader Middle-East conflict is “teetering on the edge of the unimaginable” and warned that the situation is “getting out of control.”

The United States has also continued air strikes against Iranian military targets for a 13th consecutive night, according to U.S. Central Command, saying the operations aim to diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping.

Other regional actors reported related incidents: Kuwait’s military said it was intercepting Iranian missile and drone attacks, and Jordan claimed to have shot down a salvo of Iranian missiles and drones. The International Atomic Energy Agency noted it has not yet received a verification request from the United States and Saudi Arabia regarding their newly announced civil nuclear cooperation.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have accused Iran of dragging the Houthis into the broader U.S.–Iran confrontation, urging de-escalation and warning that Iran remains a target for denuclearization efforts.