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WASHINGTON: Middle East tensions remained high on Saturday as US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end soon.
Speaking at a rally in Mobile, Alabama, Trump said the conflict could end “very soon” and possibly after the November midterm elections. He also questioned who Washington could negotiate with in Tehran.
Trump has continued to say that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon. His latest remarks came as senior US national security officials held an unannounced meeting at Camp David.
Vice President JD Vance chaired the Camp David meeting, according to Axios.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Dan Caine also attended.
The officials discussed the Iran war and the conflict involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen. The talks came amid stalled diplomatic efforts.
Reports have also said the US administration is considering its next military steps in the region.
The Yemeni army said it carried out 71 operations against Houthi positions in Taiz province.
Army spokesman Col Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said the operations targeted military gatherings, reinforcements and equipment.
He said the operations covered several areas of southwestern Taiz. These included al-Aqrood, Sama’, al-Ahkum and Jabal Rasin.
The spokesman said several vehicles were destroyed and members of the Houthi group were killed or neutralised. He did not provide a casualty figure.
The Houthis had not commented on the statement at the time of reporting.
Reuters separately reported that Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its forces carried out 20 airstrikes in Taiz within three hours on Friday.
Regional tensions also affected Saudi Arabia.
Reports said missiles were launched towards parts of the kingdom as fighting involving the Houthis intensified.
Saudi authorities have reported intercepting projectiles in previous incidents. Details of individual attacks and their sources remain subject to confirmation.
Saudi Arabia is also preparing options for a military offensive against the Houthis, according to regional and Western officials cited by Reuters.
The options reportedly include a coastal operation aimed at securing the Red Sea shipping route.
A projectile launched from Yemen struck a school in Saudi Arabia’s southern city of Najran, according to Saudi state media.
The Saudi Civil Defence said the incident caused material damage.
Emergency teams responded to the site, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and other parts of northern Yemen since 2014.
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A crude oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile about four nautical miles east of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The vessel’s master reported the impact on the tanker’s port side.
UKMTO said all crew members were safe. It also reported no environmental impact from the incident.
The identity of the projectile and the circumstances surrounding the attack were not immediately established.
Iranian authorities said they executed a man detained during protests in January.
The judiciary identified him as Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi. It accused him of firing at police and organising activities described by authorities as anti-security.
According to the judiciary, he fired at police on January 8 and was arrested two days later in Shahrekord.
Iranian authorities have previously blamed armed groups and foreign actors for violence during the protests. Those allegations have been disputed, and the circumstances surrounding the protests remain contested.
Russia’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, criticised the US position on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Ulyanov said Iran has a right to pursue a nuclear programme under international law.
His comments followed remarks by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who accused Iran of violating nuclear restrictions and questioned its uranium enrichment activities.
Iran has consistently said its nuclear programme is peaceful.
The dispute comes as Washington continues to demand limits on Iran’s nuclear activities and insists that Tehran must not develop nuclear weapons.
The latest developments come amid renewed fighting involving Iran, the Houthis and regional governments.
The US is weighing its next steps in the Iran conflict, while Saudi Arabia is considering military action against the Houthis.
At the same time, incidents involving commercial shipping have raised concerns about maritime security around the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz.
