Military tensions in the Middle East have escalated significantly following new attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting Saudi military infrastructure on Monday (September 14, 2026). Concurrently, scheduled mediation talks in Oman between Gulf Arab states and Iran were postponed, as reported by Reuters.
According to a Houthi military spokesperson, the group launched dozens of ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones targeting a major military airbase in Khamis Mushait, located in southern Saudi Arabia. The strikes were reportedly launched in retaliation for renewed Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. In response to heightened security threats, Saudi authorities issued emergency high alerts for Khamis Mushait and three additional strategic southern cities.
The escalation follows prior coordinated attacks on Friday (September 11) by Yemeni and Iraqi fighters that damaged and shut down Saudi Arabia’s strategic East-West oil pipeline—a vital bypass around the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomatic session in Muscat, Oman, aimed at de-escalating regional conflict and securing maritime navigation through Hormuz, was postponed at the specific request of Riyadh, according to statements from Tehran.
Amid mounting volatility, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran remains eager to reach a swift agreement. However, Mohsen Rezaee, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, explicitly rejected the assertion via a statement on X (formerly Twitter), declaring that Tehran will not enter negotiations or agreements with the United States until its fundamental preconditions are fully satisfied.
