Yemen's Houthis Seize Key Strait, Saudi Arabia Faces Escalation

The Houthi movement in Yemen has completed its takeover of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint, after capturing Perim Island. Reports indicate they have also advanced to the coastal city of Dhubab. This escalation follows a Houthi rocket attack on Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia, which injured two people and caused damage to a mosque, buildings, and vehicles. A warning of potential danger has been issued in southern Saudi Arabia.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran would not obtain nuclear weapons and suggested the conflict might end before the U.S. midterm elections, adding that Iran is "very much wanting to make a deal." Trump also suggested Iran was likely responsible for an attack on Saudi Arabia's main oil pipeline, noting that the Houthis "don't want to fight us."

The British Foreign Secretary discussed the Houthi attacks and developments in Yemen with his Saudi counterpart. Meanwhile, in Israel, the body of Sergeant Major Itay Peretz, a Yamam counter-terrorism officer who went missing at Haifa's student beach, was recovered after an extensive search.

In the tech world, the CEO of Anthropic has called for a slowdown in the advancement of artificial intelligence capabilities and the establishment of shared safety standards among leading companies in democratic nations.