U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that the seven-month war with Iran is approaching its conclusion, even as fighting escalated sharply on a new front in Yemen. Saudi aircraft pounded Houthi positions while the Iran-backed group launched drones and missiles at Saudi cities, broadening a conflict that has already disrupted global energy markets.
The Houthis’ rapid advance along the Red Sea coast and their attacks on Saudi infrastructure — including strikes that damaged the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline — have extended Tehran’s operational reach and amplified risks to global oil supplies. In response to the widening theater, the United States tightened its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, prohibiting government personnel from traveling within 20 miles of the Yemen border.
Despite the intensifying violence, Trump struck an upbeat tone Wednesday evening. “Well, hopefully we are towards the end of the war,” he told reporters. The president reiterated his belief that Iran wants to negotiate, saying, “They want to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out,” and added that he had received communications from Tehran “directly,” without elaborating.
Trump has offered shifting objectives and timelines since the conflict erupted on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in Gulf states. The war’s expansion into Yemen threatens to exacerbate an energy-supply crunch already strained by disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that previously handled roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Traders warn that a prolonged shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could remove up to 4% of global oil supply from the market. Riyadh has not indicated when operations might resume. Brent crude hovered near $108 a barrel Wednesday, approaching its highest level since May, while the U.S. average retail diesel price surpassed $6.30 a gallon for the first time — a politically sensitive threshold ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Oil prices eased in early Thursday trading after reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes through Oman, easing immediate supply fears. Brent futures fell $1.24, or 1.2%, to $104.59 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures dropped $1.14, or 1.1%, to $101.29.
According to Axios, Trump is expected to meet with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders — representing Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman — on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly next Tuesday to discuss next steps in the conflict. The State Department and White House declined to comment on the report.
On the ground, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree released battlefield footage showing fighters capturing armored vehicles from Saudi-backed forces, along with warplanes overhead and large explosions in desert terrain. Saree said the group carried out fresh drone and missile strikes on the strategic Red Sea oil port of Yanbu and the southern Saudi air base at Khamis Mushait, though he did not specify timing. He also claimed Saudi-led forces conducted as many as 450 air strikes on Yemen this week. Officials in the Saudi-backed government in southern Yemen acknowledged ongoing air operations against Houthi positions, though Riyadh has not confirmed the strikes.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Houthis since 2015. The conflict had largely subsided under a ceasefire in recent years but reignited in July when the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and began firing on southern regions of the kingdom.