Iran Threatens Saudi Arabia Amid Ongoing Attacks in Strait of Hormuz Following Defense Pact

Amid escalating clashes with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iran has issued a warning to Saudi Arabia that its new defense alliance with Turkey and Pakistan will not guarantee its security. A senior Houthi official told CNN that their attacks against Saudi Arabia are independent of Tehran’s direct orders, emphasizing that the economic and air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia on Houthi-controlled areas has created the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crisis, justifying their decisive response. The official also claimed recent Houthi strikes were preemptive, responding to Saudi preparations for a ground invasion.

Meanwhile, the UAE reported that an ADNOC commercial vessel was hit by a missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, condemning the attack as a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions protecting freedom of navigation. The UAE accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of piracy and threatening regional stability and global energy security. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan also condemned the incident. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the U.S. for violating the Hormuz Memorandum of Understanding, prompting Iran’s retaliatory actions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced near completion of negotiations with Oman on a new navigation route through the Strait of Hormuz, though reopening the strait depends on other conditions. He criticized the previous traffic separation scheme as unacceptable to Tehran and called for a new route, acknowledging technical and legal complexities requiring a temporary arrangement before finalizing a new path.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif condemned Israel, urging the Islamic world to unite against the common threat Israel poses, following the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact. Concurrently, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan McKenzie is reportedly seeking an exit strategy from the ongoing conflict with Iran, now in its sixth month despite ceasefires and broken agreements. Sources told CNN that McKenzie warned President Trump’s team that military escalation risks backfiring and that air power alone is unlikely to achieve U.S. goals, including dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and restoring free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

While some in the U.S. administration, including CENTCOM and Israel, supported intensifying military action, Trump canceled planned strikes after Middle Eastern leaders expressed concerns about Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure. However, future strikes remain possible, according to a senior U.S. official.