WASHINGTON / TEHRAN: Iran has warned that any fresh American military attack could trigger an expanded conflict across the region, as President Donald Trump considers his next steps in a war that has continued for nearly seven months.
The warning came amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, with Britain announcing limited military assistance to Riyadh and American embassies across the Middle East urging their citizens to remain alert.
Iran Threatens Broader Retaliation Against New US Strikes
A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Sunday that Tehran would respond to another American assault by deploying unspecified new weapons and widening the geographical scope of the conflict.
The statement came as Washington continued to assess its military and diplomatic options.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Trump said he remained in the process of deciding how to proceed. He described possible courses of action ranging from further military escalation and continued economic pressure to renewed negotiations aimed at ending the war.
The president also indicated that he would probably be willing to meet his Iranian counterpart during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
Meanwhile, American embassies throughout the Middle East issued security advisories on Sunday as fighting between the Houthis and a Saudi-backed coalition intensified.
US citizens were advised to exercise caution and prepare for possible travel disruptions because of the risk of further regional escalation.
Britain Agrees to Limited Military Assistance for Saudi Arabia
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Monday that the United Kingdom would provide Saudi Arabia with limited military support to help counter attacks by the Houthi movement.
Speaking to reporters while travelling to New York for the UN General Assembly, Burnham said the Royal Air Force would provide aerial refuelling for Saudi aircraft under an arrangement expected to last several weeks.
He said the decision was intended to protect British and regional interests, particularly as attacks on Saudi Arabia threatened further disruption to energy supplies and important transport routes.
The British government has condemned Houthi attacks and said it will cooperate with regional partners to support stability, protect civilians and maintain humanitarian access.
Houthi Attacks Raise Concerns Over Red Sea Shipping
The renewed confrontation follows the breakdown of the conflict’s fragile pause between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
Houthi forces have launched missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia, including an attack directed at Riyadh on Saturday that was intercepted.
The movement has also declared a blockade affecting Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom have reportedly come under attack, increasing concerns about energy exports from one of the world’s major oil-producing countries.
Earlier this month, Houthi forces advanced inside Yemen and seized the strategically important port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands.
Those territorial gains have strengthened the group’s ability to monitor maritime movement through Bab el-Mandeb, a passage that normally carries approximately 12 per cent of global trade.
President Trump considered ordering American strikes against the Houthis over the weekend following Saudi requests for assistance. However, CBS News previously reported that he decided late Saturday not to proceed with the attacks.
Houthi Leader Demands End to Saudi Military Campaign
In a separate development, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi criticised Saudi Arabia in a recorded speech broadcast on Monday to mark the anniversary of his movement’s takeover of Yemen’s government.
He demanded an end to Saudi military operations and the restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Houthi-controlled areas.
Al-Houthi presented those demands as rights belonging to the Yemeni people.
The movement captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 after advancing from its northern stronghold, forcing the internationally recognised government into exile in Saudi Arabia.
In 2015, Riyadh led a multinational coalition into the conflict in an attempt to restore the government.
The latest exchanges between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have renewed concerns that the Yemen conflict could become a wider regional confrontation at a time when the United States and Iran remain engaged in an unresolved war.
