United States President Donald Trump has expressed hope that the seven-month war against Iran is nearing an end, even as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces escalates in Yemen.
The widening conflict has opened a new front along the Red Sea, with Saudi aircraft carrying out air strikes on Yemen while Houthi fighters launch drones and missiles towards targets in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis’ advance in Yemen and attacks on Saudi territory, including strikes that damaged the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, have further extended Iran’s reach in the conflict and increased concerns over global oil supplies.
The United States has also tightened its travel warning for Saudi Arabia, barring government employees from travelling within 20 miles, or 30 kilometres, of the Yemen border.
Despite the escalation, Trump told reporters on Wednesday evening, “Well, hopefully we are towards the end of the war.”
He also said Iran wanted a deal and claimed he had heard directly from Tehran, although he provided no further details.
“They want to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out,” Trump said.
The war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to strike Israel and US military bases in Gulf countries.
The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy route that carried about 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war.
The expansion of the conflict into Yemen could further worsen the global energy supply disruption.
Traders said a prolonged shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could remove as much as four per cent of global oil supply from the market. Saudi Arabia has not announced when operations would resume.
Brent crude traded around $108 a barrel on Wednesday, close to its highest level since May, while the average US retail diesel price climbed above $6.30 per gallon for the first time.
However, oil prices eased in early Thursday trading after reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes through Oman, reducing concerns over immediate supply shortages.
Brent crude futures fell $1.24, or 1.2 per cent, to $104.59 a barrel by 0049 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate futures declined $1.14, or 1.1 per cent, to $101.29.
The surge in oil and gas prices caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran has also emerged as a major political issue for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump expected to meet Gulf leaders
Trump is expected to meet leaders and foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next Tuesday, according to Axios.
The meeting is expected to focus on the next steps in the conflict and could involve representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
Axios cited unidentified sources in its report. The White House and US State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the Houthis released battlefield footage showing fighters allegedly seizing armoured vehicles from Saudi-backed forces.
The footage also showed warplanes flying overhead and large explosions rising from desert areas.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had launched fresh drone and missile attacks on Yanbu, a major Saudi oil port on the Red Sea, and a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait.
He did not specify when the attacks occurred.
Saree also claimed that Saudi Arabia had carried out as many as 450 air strikes on Yemen during the week.
Officials in the Saudi-backed government controlling southern Yemen acknowledged that their forces, alongside Saudi Arabia, were conducting air strikes against Houthi positions, although Riyadh has not independently confirmed the reported number of strikes.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition fighting the Houthis since 2015.
The conflict had largely subsided under a ceasefire in recent years, but fighting resumed after the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July and launched attacks on southern parts of the kingdom.
