Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen and Iranian military action are straining Gulf security on multiple fronts at once, with missile fire, drone attacks, and strikes on commercial shipping disrupting aviation and maritime trade across the region. The longer the underlying conflict continues, the greater the risk of lasting damage to Gulf economies and regional stability.
Houthi strikes reach Saudi aviation
Houthi forces claimed missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on July 13, describing the strikes as retaliation for earlier attacks on Sanaa International Airport’s runway. There were no reported casualties, but the strikes mark the first Houthi missile fire on Saudi Arabia in years, ending a period of relative calm between the two sides.
Houthi military officials warned airlines against using Saudi airspace, urging carriers to treat the warning seriously until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted. The warning directly targets regional aviation and raises the risk of broader disruption to passenger and cargo traffic across the Gulf and Red Sea corridors.
Iranian attacks on shipping near Hormuz
Iran has fired on multiple commercial vessels in or near Omani waters close to the Strait of Hormuz, including Saudi- and Qatari-flagged ships. A Liberia-flagged tanker was attacked roughly 40 nautical miles off South Al Sharqiyah, outside Oman’s territorial waters, causing a fire in the engine room but no loss of life among the 23 crew members. Gulf states have lodged formal diplomatic complaints, accusing Iran of violating international law and threatening regional energy security.
US-Iran exchange raises the stakes
President Trump notified Congress that US forces carried out defensive strikes inside Iran on July 7, after threatening to destroy a nuclear-related site known as Pickaxe Mountain. Iranian forces responded by targeting a US troop facility at an air base in Jordan with ballistic missiles, while stating they do not seek direct confrontation with Jordan itself. A subsequent wave of US strikes hit Iranian military targets including coastal defense systems, missile and drone facilities, and naval assets at sites such as Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas.
Inside Iran, state media reported that three people were killed when a strike hit a building belonging to the country’s environmental authority in Hajiabad, with four additional sites in Bushehr province targeted without reported casualties.[3] Washington has also moved to enforce a naval blockade covering Iranian ports, oil terminals, and coastal areas, applying restrictions to vessels regardless of flag.
Gulf states respond
Kuwait reported intercepting hostile aerial targets that entered its airspace. Bahrain said its air defense systems destroyed several incoming aerial threats and placed military units on maximum readiness.[4][3] Saudi Arabia’s cabinet condemned attacks on commercial vessels and strikes affecting Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan, accusing Iran of breaching international law and the principle of good-neighborly relations. Oman said rising military tensions threaten maritime safety, trade flows, and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen front reactivated
The latest strikes have reactivated front-line dynamics around Sanaa International Airport, a longstanding flashpoint in Yemen’s war where access and flight restrictions carry humanitarian consequences. Houthi forces are now using long-range missiles and drones against Saudi airports and issuing direct threats against commercial aviation, making the Yemen front a central driver of instability for the wider Gulf region.
