Houthis impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the US-Iran war

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Monday that it was imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front against the United States in its war with Iran and expanding the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

The announcement came as Tehran and Washington showed signs of seeking a return to diplomacy to halt an escalating cycle of attacks that has nearly shattered a fragile interim agreement reached last month. Oil prices briefly climbed following the Houthi statement before retreating as traders remained hopeful of a diplomatic breakthrough.

Iran had reportedly urged the Houthis to shut the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Red Sea, if the United States continued its attacks on Iranian power infrastructure. A complete closure of the strait could disrupt around 7% of global oil supplies by preventing much of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports from leaving the region. Such a disruption would compound the major reduction in global oil flows caused by the wider Gulf conflict, which has already cut shipments by roughly 10% of worldwide supply.

In a statement, the Houthi armed forces said they were declaring “a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy,” based on the principle of “an eye for an eye,” with immediate effect. They said the move was in response to what they described as “an unjust and oppressive siege” imposed on Yemen by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.

Diplomatic efforts to revive ceasefire

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire aimed at rescuing the interim agreement and paving the way for a lasting deal to end the conflict, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that mediators had recently submitted proposals to Tehran, suggesting that diplomatic channels remain open. Neither the ministry nor the Iranian official provided further details about the proposed ceasefire.

Separately, two Pakistani government sources said Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, during his second visit to Islamabad in less than a week, had asked Pakistan to resume its mediation efforts in the conflict between Iran and the United States.

The diplomatic push came after another night of US strikes on Iranian cities and attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on American military assets across the region.

US President Donald Trump, facing growing domestic pressure over rising fuel prices, defended the latest strikes, saying they were carried out in response to the deaths of as many as three US service members in recent Iranian attacks.

Iran reports tanker explosions

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers exploded after attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz along what it described as an “unsafe” route. A day earlier, the IRGC had reported that two ships were involved in an “accident” in the same area, though it remained unclear whether the incidents were connected.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report. The IRGC provided no details about the vessels or possible casualties.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel remained adrift, but all crew members were safe, the agency said.

US Central Command said its ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran was aimed at weakening Tehran’s ability to attack commercial vessels in the strategically important shipping lanes of the strait. It did not provide further details.

Explosions were also reported in several Iranian locations, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that one person was killed and several others wounded southwest of Tabriz.

The IRGC said it had targeted US aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport with ballistic missiles, along with military assets at Kuwait’s Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, as well as positions in Syria.

Sirens sounded across Bahrain on Monday, while Kuwait’s army said it had once again intercepted Iranian drones.

Desalination plant targeted

Kuwait’s government said a desalination plant was attacked for a second consecutive day on Sunday, triggering a fire. Authorities described the incident as a direct strike on critical civilian infrastructure.

Desalination plants provide most of the drinking water consumed in several Gulf states, supplying tens of millions of people in one of the world’s most water-scarce regions.

Iran, which on Saturday accused the United States of striking one of its own desalination facilities, has repeatedly warned that it could target similar plants in Gulf countries in retaliation. Washington has not confirmed attacking an Iranian desalination facility.

Washington and Tehran leave door open to diplomacy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue targeting Iran as long as Tehran attacked commercial shipping.

“As long as Iran insists on controlling an international waterway, we're gonna have to respond to that. The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution,” Rubio said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also indicated that Tehran had not completely closed the door to renewed talks with Washington.

Confirming that mediators had delivered proposals to Iran, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said he could not disclose details. He said diplomatic efforts had remained active in recent days and that proposals from several mediators had reached Tehran.

The conflict has killed thousands of people, most of them in Iran and Lebanon.