Middle East tensions persist amid US sanctions on Iran, Saudi-Houthi clashes

Tensions across the Middle East remain high, with the United States tightening sanctions on Iran, and hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement continuing to escalate.

On ​Wednesday, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Karnakis & Karnakis, a law firm based in ‌Greece and Panama, saying it had for years provided legal assistance to Iranian shipping networks.

Karnakis & Karnakis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington has held off striking Iran this month in the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28, and instead has continued the blockade of Iranian ports and issued waves of sanctions on Iranian shipping networks and those who the US says aid them.

Also on Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to review the latest developments surrounding the US-Israeli war against Iran and discuss ways to bolster national resilience, according to a statement published on the leader's website.

The meeting highlighted the necessity to strengthen the country's components of power and the Iranian lawmakers' effective role in maintaining and fostering social solidarity, the statement said.

Discussions also covered the need for continued public engagement, the commitment of the government and parliament to expanding cooperation to resolve the people's economic and livelihood-related problems, and the advancement of affairs related to the country's strategic partners.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in an article published in the Financial Times that any further escalation around the Strait of Hormuz or elsewhere in the West Asia region could seriously endanger civilian lives, regional security and the global economy.

Araghchi said Iran is fully prepared to defend itself, while stressing that the country remains willing to give diplomacy another chance if it sees clear evidence that Washington is genuinely willing to pursue a "fair and dignified" solution aimed at ending the conflict.

On the other front, the tit-for-tat strikes between the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi movement has continued.

Citing the Saudi Ministry of Energy, the Saudi Press Agency said Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone targeting a facility at Aramco's Shaybah field in the Eastern Province, but the incident caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle outside the facility without affecting operations.

Two residents, a Filipino national and a Nepali national, were killed, while two others, a Pakistani national and an Indian national, were injured, said the ministry.

In a series of statements, the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted and destroyed seven drones launched toward various parts of Saudi Arabia, including four over Medina and the Eastern Province. No details on casualties or damage were provided.

However, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea denied launching any attacks toward Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, rejecting the coalition's claim that drones had been intercepted over Medina as "false."

Sarea said Saudi warplanes had carried out 62 airstrikes over the previous 24 hours targeting Sanaa and the provinces of Marib, Saada, Lahj and Taiz, claiming civilian casualties, including women and children, without providing figures.

The developments came as the Houthis intensified attacks on the government-held southeastern province of Hadramout in Yemen.

As the security situation deteriorates, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned on Wednesday that ongoing hostilities involving the Houthis could escalate rapidly beyond currently affected areas.

It required US government employees working in Saudi Arabia to obtain special authorization from the chief of mission to use any airport in the kingdom following recent missile and drone attacks.

The US State Department also ordered non-emergency US government staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify.

(With input from agencies)