Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have seized the island of Mayun at the entrance of the Red Sea, an alternative shipping route utilized for Saudi oil and other exports while vessels face targeting in the Strait of Hormuz. The seizure was confirmed anonymously by a senior military official from Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Houthi official. Approximately 12% of global trade typically flows through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, which is critically important to U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated Friday that maritime navigation is safe for all companies except Saudi vessels, though markets remain nervous. Meanwhile, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq reported that Houthi rebels in Mokha seized a compound previously housing UN staff, who fled safely before the city’s capture. Saudi Arabia announced Friday the precautionary shutdown of a major cross-country oil pipeline following attacks the previous day, without specifying who carried out the strikes. The East-West pipeline has been crucial for Saudi oil exports since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Early Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province and dismissed its commander after authorities determined that attacks targeting Saudi Arabia originated from the province. According to the International Energy Agency, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea terminal at the pipeline’s end have more than doubled since U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. In technology news, AI firm Anthropic announced it blocked users in northern Yemen who utilized its AI models via commercially available smartphones for weapons development programs. Anthropic stated that its models were used to pursue sophisticated precision, long-range ballistic, and hypersonic missiles, and that the accounts used Claude Code to develop software steering flying vehicles and guided rockets. The company found no evidence that the users succeeded in fielding a weapon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated Friday that a regional meeting between Iran and Persian Gulf nations, including Oman and Iraq, is planned for Monday in Oman to discuss shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday that the military completed the destruction of tunnels in the strategic Ali Taher ridge built by Hezbollah with Iranian funding. Israeli forces also continued demolishing houses in southern Lebanese villages under their control. In Gaza, an Israeli strike Friday killed a man and wounded several others in Khan Younis, which the military stated targeted a Hamas member, while mourners held funeral services for men killed earlier in the week. The U.S. State Department announced that Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet next week to discuss regional developments and a trilateral framework, with formal discussions scheduled in Rome in October.
Source: npr.org
