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2026.10.14 11:40 GMT+8

Yemen fighting escalates as Israel, US reportedly weigh new strikes on Iran

Updated 2026.10.14 11:40 GMT+8
CGTN

A television broadcast showing Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen, October 10, 2026. /VCG

Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group traded threats of retaliation on Tuesday as cross-border strikes on major cities and oil facilities continued, while Israel and the US reportedly discussed the possibility of renewing strikes against Iran before Israeli parliamentary elections.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense said early on Wednesday that four people were injured and 15 residential homes were damaged after debris from two intercepted cruise missiles fell in the capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

A Saudi Aramco administrative building in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, was targeted on Tuesday evening, causing a limited fire, the Saudi Press Agency reported early on Wednesday.

The Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday night that it had intercepted multiple missiles and drones over eastern and southern Saudi Arabia. It also reported intercepting a ballistic missile targeting an administrative center in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province.

The coalition urged civilians to evacuate the Yemen Petroleum Company's Al-Sabaha Central Station in Houthi-held Sanaa, describing the targeted facilities as vital resources used by the Houthis to support their military operations in areas including Sanaa and Hodeidah.

Meanwhile, the Houthis said on Tuesday that Saudi warplanes and missiles carried out 104 strikes across areas held by the group over the past 24 hours.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed the attacks caused civilian casualties without giving specific figures.

Displaced Yemeni families receive food and shelter supplies provided by aid organizations in Aden, Yemen, October 12, 2026. /VCG

The intensifying conflict is adding to the hardships faced by displaced people in Yemen, who face food shortages and health risks, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Basic supplies in Taiz City are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive," said the OCHA. "Petrol prices have tripled and cooking gas is largely unavailable. Food prices have reportedly risen by about 50%, and current wheat and flour supplies could run out in less than three weeks."

The office said that the basic health of families is increasingly at risk with overcrowded displacement sites, inadequate access to clean water and minimal health services.

The OCHA added that the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have provided emergency assistance to nearly 148,000 people across Yemen since hostilities began in August.

Commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, October 13, 2026. /VCG

Beyond Yemen, tensions involving Iran have also raised the prospect of renewed military action by the US and Israel.

Senior US officials told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump last week about the possibility of a renewed military campaign against Iran before Israel's Knesset elections are held at the end of October.

The potential joint US-Israel operation could target Iran’s nuclear and military sites, sources reportedly said, adding that Netanyahu cited alleged Iranian efforts to rebuild nuclear capacity as the reason for launching new strikes.

Although Trump has publicly said he has not yet decided how to proceed with Tehran, sources said both the Israel Defense Forces and US Central Command (CENTCOM) are on alert and are finalizing preparations in case he decides to order strikes.

One US official told Axios that Trump told Netanyahu to "go ahead and get ready," but noted there was no firm commitment to restart military operations.

Tensions have also continued over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global energy shipments. Ali Azmaei, a senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, threatened to sink US warships on Tuesday if they approach the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.

"We are waiting for American warships to approach the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz so that we can sink them," Azmaei said in televised remarks, adding that Iranian forces are "counting down" for the encounter.

US CENTCOM on Tuesday rejected Azmaei's claims, posting on X that "IRGC's navy commander has no navy. American forces and regional partners clearly control the Strait of Hormuz."

It disputed an Iranian navy commander’s remarks that Tehran controls the strategic international chokepoint, declaring that US forces had helped Gulf partners transport more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait on Monday.

(With input from agencies)

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