A senior Saudi defence official contended that “the biggest threats to the region, and to international security, is basically Iran”. He further stated that “Iran has expansionist policies. They want to basically take over countries in the region. They have these destructive activities in the region that is pulling the region backward, not forward. This is the cause of friction”. He added that “the Iranian regime and its proxies on one side, and ISIS, al-Qaeda and terrorist organizations on the other side. We believe that they’re both two sides of the same coin… when it comes to us, we’re the common enemy, and they cooperate”.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal expressed his government’s willingness to negotiate with Iran, adding that “it is really up to Iran”. He noted that talks would require Tehran’s acknowledgement that Iran “cannot further its regional agenda through violence”. In related remarks, a senior Saudi official called Iran “the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world” and reiterated: “pressure needs to be continued on Iran”. Asserting that “the Iranians have to show good faith… change their behaviour and their policies”, he also stated that if Iran “want to be treated as a normal country, they should act as one”. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif subsequently took to Twitter to maintain that “'normal’ countries don’t operate abattoirs disguised as consulates. ‘Normal’ countries don’t attack their neighbours, cause a humanitarian crisis and refuse to talk. Nonetheless, we don’t set preconditions for dialogue”.

A missile strike against a Yemeni armed forces camp in Marib killed over a hundred and left dozens more injured; the Saudi government “expressed in the strongest terms… condemnation and denunciation of this sinful terrorist attack carried out by the Huthi militia”.

French President Emmanuel Macro, announced that “in the Arabian Peninsula and Arab-Persian Gulf, where tensions are mounting, we have deployed in record time the Jaguar Task Force, which contributes to reassuring the Saudi kingdom”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson subsequently reacted by asserting that “your military presence in the Persian Gulf is as wrong as your naming it. Both mistakes are huge but compensable”.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif emphasised that "we are ready for negotiations with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf littoral states and we are ready to give proposals regarding security in this region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz”.

Media reports cited a confidential UN report assessing that “Huthi forces did not launch the attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September 2019” because the missiles used in the attack did not “have a sufficient range to have been launched from Yemeni territory under the control of the Huthis”. “Abqaiq and Khurais were approached respectively from a north/northwestern and north/northeastern direction, rather than from the south, as one would expect in the case of a launch from Yemeni territory”, the report added.

Following the killing by the U.S. of Iran’s Qods Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, the Saudi foreign minister indicated that “we are very keen that the situation in the region doesn’t escalate any further. It’s certainly a very dangerous moment and we have to be conscious of the risks and dangers not just to the region but to wider global security”.

The head of the IRGC's Qods force, Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that "at the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani”, adding that "Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region". Iran confirmed Soleimani’s death, and the IRGC said that four other Qods force members along with five Iraqis, notably including a senior Hashd official, were also killed in the operation. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei subsequently asserted that "enemies should bear in mind that the Islamic Republic of Iran will take tough revenge on criminals over the martyrdom of General Soleimani".

The Saudi-led coalition announced that “six Saudi war prisoners arrived at King Salman Airbase”.

The Saudi Cabinet “expressed the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the attacks by terrorist militias backed by the Iranian regime against the American forces present in Iraq”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “discussed [27 December] Kataeb Hizbollah strikes on Coalition Forces in Kirkuk… as well as the U.S.’ defensive strikes [on 29 December] in Iraq and Syria”. They “agreed that the Iranian regime and its proxies continue to be a destabilising force in the region and that nations have a right to defend themselves in the face of these threats”. According to the U.S. readout of the call, Pompeo “underscored that attacks by the Iranian regime, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies or our interests will be answered with a decisive response”, and both sides “agreed to continue to work together to continue countering Iran’s malign behaviour”.

A Huthi military spokesperson reportedly indicated that the “the armed forces of Yemen are fully prepared to strike nine strategic targets deep inside the territory of the aggressors, of which six are located in Saudi Arabia and the rest are in the United Arab Emirates”.

A Huthi military spokesperson claimed that a “Badr-1P ballistic missile struck… a military camp for the Saudi army and its mercenaries in Najran”.

The Saudi foreign minister and the GCC secretary general signed a GCC Unified Military Command Headquarters Agreement in Riyadh.

Twitter announced that it had removed 5,929 accounts “for violating… platform manipulation policies”. “Rigorous investigations by our Site Integrity team have allowed us to attribute these accounts to a significant state-backed information operation on Twitter originating in Saudi Arabia”, the statement added.

In remarks at the Doha Forum, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called for “recognition of the imperative of a regional security and cooperation arrangement under the UN umbrella”, adding that “the Hormuz Peace Endeavour – or HOPE –  is a continuation of our longstanding commitment to an inclusive and comprehensive regional framework for constructive engagement”. He also noted that “like the nuclear accord, no good idea can be pursued by only one party… While everyone could have benefited from the paradigm shift that the JCPOA promised – as a foundation and not a ceiling – it cannot be expected from a single party to be forthcoming while others are pursuing an opposite path”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, assessed that “because of the Iran nuclear deal we’ve been accumulating risk of a regional conflict — and what Iran did to Saudi Arabia on September 14 was an act of war”. He further noted that “modern terrorism has an asymmetric advantage over conventional deterrence… we know that because we have enhanced our force posture in the region, we’ve deterred and disrupted a lot of attacks. But the asymmetric advantage that any terrorist regime enjoys, it’s impossible to eliminate”. “We hope that we’ve put in place the sort of deterrence that will avoid another attack… we’re going to continue to enhance Saudi defences and our defences in the region to avoid it from happening again”, Hook added.

Referring to the 14 September attacks on Saudi oil facilities, the UN Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that “at this time, it [ie, the UN] is unable to independently corroborate that the cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles used in these attacks are of Iranian origin”, while also noting that Huthi forces “have not shown to be in possession, nor been assessed to be in possession”, of the materiel employed during the operation.

The GCC Supreme Council issued a communique expressing “its consistent positions and decisions regarding relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing the need for Iran to adhere to the basic principles based on the Charter of the United Nations and the charters of international law, principles of good-neighbourliness, respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in internal affairs, and resolving disputes by peaceful means, not to use force or threaten to resort to force and reject sectarianism”. The council also “expressed its welcome and support for the steps taken by the U.S. to coerce the Iranian regime to stop its destabilising policy of security and stability and its support and sponsor terrorism around the world”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson consequently asserted that “the repetition of groundless allegations in that statement results from the political pressures from a few members of the council, which have made every effort during the past couple of decades to prevent promotion of multilateral cooperation… With their short-sightedness throughout these years, not only have they allowed for the plunder of the neighbouring countries’ wealth, but they have also paved the way for further interference from aliens in this delicate region”.

Addressing a GCC summit, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman remarked that “our region today is undergoing circumstances and challenges that call for concerted efforts to confront them, as the Iranian regime continues its hostile actions to undermine security and stability and support terrorism… [This] requires us to preserve the gains of our countries and the interests of our peoples, work with the international community to stop the interference of this regime, deal seriously with its nuclear program and the program to develop ballistic missiles and secure energy sources, safety of waterways and freedom of maritime navigation”.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister was cited as asserting that “the Iranian threat is a threat to everyone… There is an understanding by the GCC countries on the importance of dealing with the threat and confronting it in the necessary ways”. He also called on Iran to “change its behaviour in attacking ships in the Gulf, supplying militias with weapons, financing terrorism and destabilising countries”.

U.S. State Department announced that it had “designated Mohammad al-Otaibi, former Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul... for his involvement in gross violations of human rights”, adding that “the State Department continues to urge the Government of Saudi Arabia to conduct a full, fair and transparent trial for those responsible for Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi’s death” in 2018.

A senior Huthi official indicated that “the [Huthi] Yemeni Armed Forces has completed all aspects of construction that qualify it for a comprehensive strategic attack that cripples the enemy's capabilities… [It] has a bank of naval and ground military targets for the Zionist enemy [ie, Israel], and we will not hesitate to hit it whenever the leadership decides”.

A senior Saudi official opined that “Iran is a threat to the entire region and its aggression can no longer be tolerated”. He also underlined that “nobody is talking about a regime change in Iran. The solution is to have a negotiating table and agree on a better JCPOA, stop of interference into other countries and behaviours towards terrorism”. On Yemen, the senior official stated that “Yemen is of particular importance to us, and Iran’s intervention there is devastating. The only solution in Yemen is political, and the Huthis are the ones who started the war, not us… All Yemenis, including the Huthis, have a role in the future of Yemen”.

Meeting with the Omani foreign minister in Tehran, President Rouhani remarked that “from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s point of view, there is no problem with expanding relations with neighbours and resuming ties with Saudi Arabia… All countries should stand beside each other to maintain security and stability in the region”. Referring to Iran’s Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) proposal, Rouhani asserted that “we should maintain security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz through expanding cooperation and we should not let foreigners interfere”.

Meeting with the Omani foreign minister in Tehran, President Rouhani contended that “unfortunately, Europe and the U.S., despite what they say, are not interested in [the] establishment of peace in Yemen because they have been able to sell a great number of weapons”. He further asserted that "we should all attempt to put an end to the war in Yemen as soon as possible and establish stability and security in the country within the framework of Yemeni-Yemeni peace talks”.

A senior Indian official confirmed that Iran had repatriated three Indian fisherman whose Saudi-owned vessel had been detained in January 2019.

128 Huthi prisoners freed by the Saudi-led coalition arrived in Yemen, prompting a senior Huthi official to call it “a first practical step by the Saudis that builds trust”.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif remarked that “we believe that through a strong neighbourhood, we will be able to achieve our individual goals much easier and much better than individually… Iran is interested in maintaining the same type of relations that it has with its ECO (Economic Cooperation Organisation) partners and extending it to our partners in the Persian Gulf region”. “All of us”, he added, “will benefit from cooperation and all of us will suffer from competition, from conflict. from instability and from insecurity”. Discussing Iran’s Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE) proposal, Zarif emphasised that “you cannot be secure if your neighbours are not. That is why we extended the hand of friendship that we have extended to our ECO partners to our partners in the Persian Gulf, hoping that the same type of arrangement that would lead to greater confidence in cooperation could also evolve through cooperation, through joint effort, and through joint thinking also in the Persian Gulf region”.

The Saudi-led coalition’s spokesperson indicated that the coalition had “decided… to release 200 prisoners of the Huthi militia”. A senior Huthi official subsequently reacted by saying that “we welcome the news of the release of 200 captives by the American-Saudi-UAE coalition and its allies and we call for a halt to torture and employing coercive measures against the captives”.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, visited Riyadh and met with his Saudi counterpart, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials.

A Saudi cabinet session “condemned continued violations and breaches by Iran of international conventions and treaties relating to its nuclear program, welcoming… the decision of the U.S. to end the exemption of Iran's Fordow nuclear facility from sanctions, stressing the need for the international community to take a firm and similar position towards Iran's violations because of the undermining of international peace and security”.

Discussing the 14 September attacks on Saudi oil facilities, a senior Saudi official indicated that “the results of the investigation will be revealed. What is absolutely clear is that these missiles and drones are Iranian-made, and the attack occurred from the north, not from the south. We hold Iran responsible for this. We expect the international community to take steps in order to extract the price from Iran”. He additionally posited that “the idea that perhaps engagement will cause the Iranians to change their behaviour has not worked in 40 years… The key to regional stability is deterrence”. “If Iran chooses to continue along its destructive path, sanctions should be increased, not reduced”, the official added. He also identified three principles by which Iran could, in his words, “become an accepted member of the international community”, namely: “abandon the principle of exporting the revolution, accept the sovereignty of nations and respect international law and the principle of non-interference in the affairs of other countries”.

Addressing the IAEA Board of Governors, Iran’s representative maintained that “Saudi Arabia, as a country with a very non-transparent nuclear program, while is a party to the NPT and has a bilateral Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) in force with the IAEA, regrettably it still has a so- called Small Quantities Protocol (SQP) in force that exempts the country from the obligation of hosting IAEA safeguards inspections”. He went on to add that “such irresponsible behavior of Saudi Arabia is also rewarded by the Trump administration under [a] transactional and profit-centered approach to foreign policy-making, which approved the transfer of nuclear know-how to Saudi Arabia seven times”.

Israel’s foreign minister contended that “now is the time for the world, led by the U.S., to have an effective military threat against the Iranian regime, if it will continue its nuclear program”. He added that “we will strike at whomever threatens us… That is what we have always done, and what we will continue to do in the future”. Commenting on the U.S. maximum pressure policy, the foreign minister indicated that “we see the demonstrations in Iraq, Lebanon and also in Iran, and it is clear that the pressure is working… the public in the Arab states and in Iran itself are rising against Iran’s brutal oppression”. He further underscored that “we have no conflict with the Gulf states, and we have common interests in the field of security against the Iranian threat”.

King Salman revealed that “the Kingdom was subject to attacks, in which 286 ballistic missiles and 289 drones were used”. He added that “the [September 2019] sabotage attacks on our oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, in which Iranian weapons were used, showed the level of frustration reached by the Iranian regime, uniting the world in the face of this criminal aggression”.

President Trump informed congressional leaders that “to assure our partners, deter further Iranian provocative behaviour and bolster regional defensive capabilities, additional U.S. Armed Forces have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East”. He further explained that “additional forces ordered to deploy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia include radar and missile systems to improve defences against air and missile threats in the region, an air expeditionary wing to support the operation of U.S. fighter aircraft from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and two fighter squadrons”. “With these additional forces”, Trump added, “the total number of U.S. Armed Forces personnel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be approximately 3,000”.

The Huthis detained, and subsequently released, three vessels. Two of the ships were South Korean; the other was a Saudi tug.

During a visit to the UAE, a senior U.S. military official asserted that “here in the Gulf we face a common adversary [ie, Iran] that seems committed to malign behaviour across the region”, adding that “the reaction time for an Iranian ballistic missile attack to the northern most point in the Arabian Gulf is single digit minutes. And no one country has everything you need to defend itself”. The official went on to contend that “when a missile or a UAV is in route from Iran, can we agree that is not the time to start reconciling past grievances. That time is now, today… together have exactly what we need for collective defence”.  

The U.S. co-chaired a meeting of the Warsaw Process Working Group on Missile Proliferation in Romania. The group discussed “dangerous trends associated with the proliferation of missile-related goods and technologies in the Middle East and resulting contribution to regional instability”. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE were listed as having “contributed to the working group summary statement”.

Iranian President Rouhani claimed that “[a] strategic mistake in the world of Islam occurs when some consider Israel as their friend. It is very unfortunate that some Islamic countries that have to stand up for the interests of the world of Islam and their nation extended the hand of friendship towards the Zionist regime and even use its intelligence against the Muslim nations and the resistance movement”. “The problem is within us and we must reform within; we must solve the problems that they have created for us within the Muslim world”, Rouhani added, further asserting that “Israel and the U.S. are not anybody’s fiends but we are friends of the people of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and the people of the region”.

Iran’s army chief maintained that “we need an interregional security and not false coalitions. It is time to drive foreign forces out of the region”. “The security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf region can only be achieved through cooperation of the Persian Gulf littoral states… developments in recent years have shown that foreign powers cannot be reliable for regional countries”, he added.

The U.S. Department of State announced that “the U.S. hosted a Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) General Conference”, attended by senior officials from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other members of the alliance. According to the statement, “the conference included discussions on the situation in Syria, air defense in the Arabian Peninsula, and a summary of recent multilateral collaboration, including the development of a MESA Counterterrorism Strategy and the formation of the MESA political framework”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted with respect to Iran that “we’ve denied them resources. We’ve been very effective at that. There’s still an awful lot of work to do. And we have, at the same time, tried to ensure that there was adequate level of deterrence, and we’ve seen that Iran is determined to inflict harm not only on its neighbours, but the world by taking down… five-plus per cent of world’s energy supply”. Pompeo added that “President Trump understands that the driver of instability in the Middle East is, in fact, the Islamic Republic of Iran…the U.S. and Israel are working together along with our friends in the Gulf, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the Bahrainis and others to try our best to ensure that there’s adequate levels of deterrence [against Iran] and make sure that the Iranian leadership knows that we will not tolerate their continued creation of instability in the region”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson emphasised that “the Islamic Republic has always highlighted the importance of dialogue and political talks as the only way to solve problems in the region and will use all its power to create atmosphere for talks among the regional countries”. He added that “Iran hopes that the regional countries would accept the Hormuz Peace Endeavour and start comprehensive regional talks to root out division and take practical steps in line with settling crises”.

President Rouhani assessed that “it was because of the pressure from the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and the Saudi money, as they themselves said, that Trump was forced to withdraw from the [nuclear] deal… This indicates the importance of the JCPOA and that they saw it so dangerous for their own purposes”. Rouhani added that “Iran did not withdraw from the deal and waited a year and gave the other sides several opportunities, and today no one in the world can blame Iran for reducing its commitments”. “The path we have chosen”, he continued, “is resistance, steadfastness and reducing our JCPOA commitments alongside negotiating with the world… we have not abandoned the option of negotiation and we have not relied solely on it. We have agreed on the principles in the negotiation process now, but we have disagreements on how they should be implemented”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) determined that “with regard to the Persian Gulf littoral states, which have adopted a new approach to the use of nuclear technology, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for scientific cooperation and transfer of experiences”. 

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, asserted that “in keeping with Iran’s foreign policy that posits our neighbours should always come first, regional cooperation remains a priority”. “We hope this cooperation can be welcomed by neighbours to our south, too”, he added.

A senior Kuwaiti diplomat confirmed that his government had relayed Iranian messages on regional developments to Riyadh and Manama, though “until now no answers have emerged”.

Iran’s government spokesperson confirmed that “[President] Rouhani has sent letters to the Saudi king on peace in the region… the theme of the letters has been regional peace and stability”. He went on to indicate that “we believe that multiple bilateral ties could be shaped in the region, and the U.S. pressures should not cause a distance between the neighbours”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, emphasised that “[Iran] would like to turn the Huthis into their proxy right on Saudi’s southern border so that they’re able to attack at will through the Houthis, Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE”. Referring to the 14 September attacks against Saudi energy facilities, Hook stated that “it was a mistake for the Huthis [to claim credit]. I think they recognised it. They were embarrassed by it. They were surprised by it. So we’ll use this opening to press our advantage. And that’s why I think we’re seeing some positive developments in Yemen”.

A Huthi military spokesperson claimed that the Huthis had shot down a U.S. drone in Asir province.

A Iranian official revealed that “thanks to the negotiations by the Iranian foreign ministry with Saudi officials, [19] fishermen [detained by Saudi Arabia]… are on their way back home”.

The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and four other members of the Terrorist Financing and Targeting Center (TFTC) announced sanctions designations against “25 targets affiliated with the Iranian regime’s terror-support networks in the region”. According to the Treasury Department, the designation was “focussed on entities supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s regional proxy, Hizbollah”. Secretary Mnuchin commented that “this action demonstrates the unified position of the Gulf nations and the U.S. that Iran will not be allowed to escalate its malign activity in the region”.  

A senior Saudi official reiterated that “we think that appeasement doesn’t work [with Iran]. Actions count, not words. Members of the Iranian government talk, but have no power. Those who have, like the Revolutionary Guards, don’t want to negotiate”. “As far as we’re concerned”, he added, “maximum pressure is the only way”.

In an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper met with King Salman and  the Saudi deputy defence minister. During the visit, responding to a question on the deployment of additional U.S. forces to Saudi Arabia, Secretary Esper told reporters that “there are three tasks here: first, help the Saudis defend themselves against Iran; secondly, deter Iranian bad behaviour; and third, hold up the international rules-based order”. He further added that “the fact that the Saudis are going to underwrite that is something that we expect of all of our partners and allies, whether it's Asia or Europe, is to help share the cost, share the burden of either housing, hosting our troops on their land or supporting them in deployments, whatever the case may be”. On Syria, responding to a question on the future of the U.S. forces withdrawn from Syria to Iraq, Secretary Esper stated that “eventually, their destination is home.”

In remarks to the meeting at the Security and Defence Conference of GCC chiefs of staff and other countries including the U.S., Germany and France, a senior Saudi military official maintained that “today’s meeting aims to find appropriate ways for joint military cooperation to ensure the protection of vital and sensitive facilities, as the region continues to suffer from ongoing crises since the time the regime came to power following (1979) revolution in Iran, which aims to export the revolution to other countries, in contradiction with international conventions and treaties”. He further accused Iran of “spreading chaos by using religious sectarianism to serve political objectives, adopting and supporting loyal armed groups and forming parties and militias that contribute to destabilizing security and stability in several countries in the region”.

A senior Saudi official indicated that Saudi Arabia is “convinced through evidence it has that Iran is involved in the Aramco attacks” and “the missiles that had hit the Saudi oil facilities were Iranian”.

A senior U.S. diplomat met with the President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and other officials in the international recognised government of Yemen in Riyadh. The U.S. official “reaffirmed U.S. support for the unity of Yemen” and “stressed that a political solution is the only path to a peaceful, prosperous, stable and unified Yemen”. 

In Riyadh, a senior State Department official met with senior Saudi officials and highlighted the “shared commitment to work with regional partners to counter Iran’s malign influence, and promote security and stability throughout the region”.

President Rouhani contended that “what happened in the Red Sea when our tanker was targeted [on 11 October] has caused problems that hopefully our investigations will soon reach a conclusion. What is certain is that a regime has done this with the help of some countries, how and when is not clear yet and we are finalising the investigations”.

President Rouhani stated that “we have no problem with the resolution of regional problems with regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, through dialogue”, further noting that “relations between Tehran and the UAE have been better in recent months, and the trend is towards better relations”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that Iran “is always ready, with or without a mediator, to hold talks with its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, so that if there is any misunderstanding, it could be cleared”.

The Pentagon announced “the deployment of additional U.S. forces and …two fighter squadrons, one Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD)” to Saudi Arabia, noting that “taken together with other deployments this constitutes an additional 3,000 forces that have been extended or authorised within the last month”. Secretary of Defense Esper stated that “Saudi Arabia has asked for additional support to supplement their own defences and defend the international rules-based order”, adding that “we thought it was important to continue to deploy forces to deter and defend, and to send the message to the Iranians: do not strike another sovereign state, do not threaten American interests, American forces, or we will respond… do not mistake our restraint for weakness. If you will, you will regret that”. Secretary of State Pompeo also noted that “the Iranian regime must fundamentally change its behaviour and act like a normal nation. Or it can watch its economy collapse”. Commenting on the deployments, President Trump indicated that “Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson confirmed that an “Iranian tanker has sustained damages after being targeted twice, at half-hourly intervals, from a place near its shipping route in the east of the Red Sea” on 10 October. He also indicated that “over the past few months, other acts of sabotage have been launched against Iranian oil tankers in the Red Sea”. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani asserted that “piracy and evil deeds in international waterways, which are carried out with the aim of making commercial ships’ sailing insecure, will not go unanswered”. A senior Saudi official on 13 October disavowed any involvement, stating that “we did not engage in such behaviour at all. This is not how we operate… the story is still not complete. So let’s wait and find out what happened before we jump to conclusions”.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo and Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman spoke about “the importance of bilateral cooperation to confront the Iranian regime’s continued destabilising activities in the region”, with Pompeo affirming “that Saudi Arabia has every right to defend itself and its borders”.

Referring to 14 September attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Saudi Aramco's Chief Executive contended that “an absence of international resolve to take concrete action may embolden the attackers and indeed put the world's energy security at greater risk

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated that “in a situation where the Saudis would like to negotiate with Iran, if they pursue regional issues at the negotiating table and not by killing people, they will certainly have the Islamic Republic along with them”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that “recently I have been promoting, with the backing of the prime minister, a diplomatic initiative to sign ‘non-aggression agreements’ with the Arab Gulf states… it’s a historic move that will end the conflict and enable civilian cooperation until the signing of peace agreements”.

A senior U.S. military official assessed with respect to the Iranians that “I don’t believe that they’re drawing back at all” since the 14 September attack against Saudi energy facilities, which he asserted was carried out to “send a signal and harass and provoke”. Referring to U.S.-led maritime security operations, the official indicated that “what [Operation] Sentinel seeks to do is shine a flashlight across that and make sure that if anything happens in the maritime, they will be exposed for that activity… we’ve created essentially a zone defence”.

The Saudi-led coalition reported that two Huthi ballistic missiles landed inside Yemeni territory.

Senior Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) military officials met in Riyadh, and in a joint statement “affirmed the readiness of the armed forces of all GCC countries to confront and deal with any threats or terrorist attacks”. They further “condemned the attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s oil tankers and the threat of free navigation, confirming their support for the efforts of the Kingdom and the GCC countries in confronting any threat or aggression against them”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated that "we have always said that we seek understanding with our neighbours. We are not seeking tension. If the Saudi government arrives at the conclusion that it can't achieve security by buying weapons and relinquishing its sovereignty to others in the process, it will be surely welcomed with open arms by Iran".  

Iran's military chief of staff indicated that Iran was providing the Huthis "advisory and intellectual assistance and the IRGC is in charge of this". He also asserted that "we will stand by the Yemeni people until they completely ward off the aggressions". 

An Iranian official indicated that the Saudis “have sent messages to Mr. Rouhani through a head of state… we must see signs of it [goodwill] without any ambiguity, and the first sign of it is to stop the aggression against Yemen and put an end to the massacre of Yemenis”. He added that “if they genuinely sought to change their behaviour, we would welcome that”. A senior Saudi official subsequently indicated that "the Kingdom did not and will not talk with the Iranians. Yemen is the affair of the Yemenis... and the reason behind the Yemeni crisis is the Iranian destabilising role of its stability and disruptive role in the political efforts". He also contended that Iran "provides its followers with weapons and missiles targeting the sons of Yemen and the security of the Kingdom and the countries of the region as part of the approach of this expansionist regime seeking to impose its control on Arab countries through its militias". He additionally advised Iran to "stop your support for terrorism, policies of chaos and destruction, interference in the internal affairs of Arab states, development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program. Act like a normal state and not a rogue one supporting terrorism". 

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi stated that “nobody possesses the weapons necessary to deal their adversary a fatal blow. Chaos and destruction will hit the region in its entirety”. He went on to say that “everybody is open to dialogue. Iran says [it is] willing to negotiate if sanctions are lifted; the U.S. [also] asks for dialogue ... neither does Saudi Arabia close the door for dialogue”. He also indicated that “there are many countries, and Iraq is one of them, that can offer a solution or a place for a solution to be found”.

Following Huthi claims of capturing “thousands” of troops from the Saudi-led coalition in an operation in Najran, the coalition’s spokesperson asserted that “it is definitely fabricated. They are making up events and trying to influence the popular opinion in Yemen, the region and the world”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson announced that “Iran welcomes the Yemeni National Salvation Government’s proposal and considers it to be in favour of the establishment of stability and security in the region”. He went on to say that “sadly, Saudi Arabia is still seeking to fan the flames and continues to bombard different parts of Yemen” and called on “the Saudi government to accept this offer”.

A senior U.S. naval official was in Riyadh for discussions with Saudi counterparts on "our mutual efforts going forward to coordinate defence against provocation and attack". 

A senior IRGC official asserted that “Yemen’s deterrent power in the face of enemies has become clear after the reactions to Al Saud’s attacks, and the enemies are also mindful that they will be harmed if they take any action against that country”.

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Bahrain’s foreign minister remarked that “the adoption of the Iranian regime of transitional terrorism has created networks of terrorist organisations and extremist militias, located in many places and different parts of the world such as Syria, Yemen, North Africa, the countries of the Sahara and the Sahel, South America and others. This requires us to intensify our efforts and enhance collective cooperation in order to eliminate them and prevent their return in any form”. He also applauded “the decisive course taken by the friendly U.S. in confronting Iran and its affiliates in the region, through exerting maximum pressure and imposing strict sanctions”. He went on to assert that “global energy supplies and maritime navigation in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the region as a whole are severely threatened by the behaviour of the Iranian regime and its frequent targeting of commercial vessels in the region”, adding condemnation of the 14 September attacks on Saudi energy facilities “which Iran bears responsibility for”.  

The Pentagon announced the deployment of “one Patriot battery, four Sentinel radars [and] approximately 200 support personnel” to Saudi Arabia to “augment the kingdom's air and missile defence of critical military and civilian infrastructure”. The department’s spokesperson commented that “other countries have called out Iranian misadventures in the region, and we look for them to contribute assets in an international effort to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s defence”.

Referring to the 14 September attacks against Saudi energy facilities, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo argued that Iran “took an act clearly, highly attributable. They had to know that the world would determine that it was them that conducted this strike. They didn’t use their usual method of trying to obscure this through use of a proxy force”. He added that “they had to know it was the case that the world would rally against them, and yet they still chose to do it”.

President Rouhani remarked that “the Yemeni people have a right to self-defence and they have to defend themselves, and the whole world knows that the Yemeni forces and the Yemeni army have both long-range missiles and drones”. Rouhani went on to “urge the U.S., France, Britain and Germany, who are constantly giving arms to Saudi Arabia and the Emirates to kill the Yemeni people, to stop sending weapons and to pressurise Saudi Arabia and the UAE for peace”.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami argued that “our power is such that when a group like Ansar Allah carries out an operation, the enemy thinks it has been done by us”. He added that the Huthis were “a mutated branch of the revolution…They are an accumulated source of power that, if released, will change the whole battlefield and the enemy knows this reality”.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman argued that the 14 September attacks against Saudi energy facilities “didn’t hit the heart of the Saudi energy industry, but rather the heart of the global energy industry”, adding that the Iranians carried out the operation because of “stupidity. There is no strategic goal… the only strategic goal is to prove that they are stupid and that is what they did”. Bin Salman also stated that “if the world does not take a strong and firm action to deter Iran, we will see further escalations that will threaten world interests. Oil supplies will be disrupted and oil prices will jump to unimaginably high numbers that we haven't seen in our lifetimes”. Bin Salman also posited that a “political and peaceful solution is much better than the military one”, while asserting that “it is the Iranians who don’t want to sit at the table” with President Trump. On Yemen, Bin Salman stated that “if Iran stops its support of the Huthi militia, the political solution will be much easier”.

A senior Saudi official contended that “we are certain it [the 14 September attack on Saudi energy facilities] came from the north. Once the investigation is complete, we will make the announcements and we will pin the blame. But we believe Iran is responsible because these were Iranian weapons”. He went on to say that “our position is we have to be firm with Iran. We have to come up with options on how we increase the pressure on the Iranians. You have a whole list of potential options: diplomatic, economic and military”. The official added that “the Iranians are warmongering, not us. The Iranians are the ones who launched 260 ballistic missiles on Saudi Arabia and more than 150 drones. We did not launch any ballistic missiles, any drones. We did not plant any terrorist cells in Iran and we didn’t even fire one bullet in the direction of Iran… so we’re on the receiving end”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted three Huthi missiles inside the Yemeni airspace.

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers reiterated that “the international community has a great responsibility to put an end to Iranian acts of aggression and sabotage policies, pointing out that the [14 September] sabotage attack on the oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, and the use of Iranian weapons in it is a threat to international peace and security and an unjustified aggression on energy supplies to world markets”.

Referring to the 14 September attacks against Saudi energy facilities, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that “very simply: Iran did it. A to Z”.  He added that “Israel will know to defend itself against this type of aggression. And we call on all members of the international community to join President Trump's effort to increase the pressure on Iran. That's the only way to stop Iran's aggression”.

In a statement, France, Germany, and the UK jointly “condemn[ed] in the strongest terms the attacks on oil facilities on Saudi territory on September 14th, 2019 in Abqaiq and Khurais”. They further declared that “it is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details”. The E3 also urged Iran “to reverse its decisions to reduce compliance with the deal and to adhere fully to its commitments under it”. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded that the “E3's paralysis in fulfilling their obligations without U.S. permission has been clear since May 2018”. He added that the “solution to this deficiency is mustering will to forge an independent path—not parroting absurd U.S. claims and requests inconsistent with the JCPOA”. Zarif went on to posit that there would be “no new deal before compliance with the current one”. In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry contended that “attributing the responsibility to the third government for an attack carried out in the course of a full-scale war between the Saudi and Yemeni sides is per se a provocative and extremely destructive move”. U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo responded by saying that “the U.S. thanks our close friends, UK, France, and Germany, for their clear articulation of Iran’s sole responsibility for the act of war against Saudi Arabia and its impact on the region and the world… this will strengthen diplomacy and the cause of peace”.

Foreign Minister Zarif described the U.S. decision to bolster its forces in Saudi Arabia as “posturing”, and added that he was “confident that Iran did not play a role” in the 14 September attacks against Saudi energy facilities. Zarif also noted in passing that “the Israelis are attacking parts of [the] Iraqi military”. He went on to state that “we’re ready to talk [with President Trump]… we need to talk about something that is permanent. That would last”. Zarif additionally warned that “I’m not confident that we can avoid a war… I’m confident that we will not start one but I’m confident that whoever starts one will not be the one who finishes it”.

Secretary of State Pompeo asserted that the 14 September attack against Saudi energy facilities “was an attack by Iran on the world. This was an act of war”. He went on state that “apparently, the Iranians are bloodthirsty and looking for war. President Trump and I, we’re looking for a diplomatic resolution to this… but make no mistake about it: we’re prepared to do the things we need to do to try to deter Iran from this kind of behaviour”. Pompeo added that sanctions “will deny them the resources to foment the exact kind of strikes that we have seen over this past summer”, and also contended that the Iranian people “will demand that their leadership behave in a way that reflects the great history of this place”.

Foreign Minister Zarif argued that “since the Saudi regime has blamed Iran – baseless as that is – for the [14 September] attacks on its oil facilities, curious that they retaliated against Hodeida in Yemen today—breaking a UN ceasefire. It is clear that even the Saudis themselves don't believe the fiction of Iranian involvement”.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper asserted that “in recent months, Iran has increased its military activity through direct attacks and support to its proxies in the region”, adding that “all indications are that Iran was responsible for the attack” against Saudi energy facilities on 14 September. Esper announced that “in response to the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia’s] request, the president has approved the deployment of U.S. forces, which will be defensive in nature and primarily focussed on air and missile defence. We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to enhance their ability to defend themselves”.

Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah remarked that “Saudi Arabia is highly advised to stop the war on Yemen instead of seeking to purchase advanced air defence missile systems. All costly weapons purchased [from] the U.S. cannot protect you from [Huthi] drone attacks”. Nasrallah added that “a military aggression on Iran will never be to the benefit of Saudi Arabia and the UAE”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned that a clash between Iran and the U.S. or Saudi Arabia would result in “all-out war”. Zarif added that “we don’t want war, we don’t want to engage in a military confrontation… but we won’t blink to defend our territory”.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had foiled “an attempt by Iran-affiliated Huthi terrorist militias to carry out an imminent hostile and terrorist act in the south of [the] Red Sea by using a remote-controlled booby-trapped boat”.

On a trip Saudi Arabia and the UAE following the 14 September attack on Saudi energy facilities, Secretary of State Pompeo declared that “it’s abundantly clear and there is an enormous consensus in the region that we know precisely who conducted these attacks. It was Iran. I didn’t hear anybody in the region who doubted that for a single moment”. He also indicated that “we’re here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution to this”, adding that “there will be more sanctions. We have set about a course of action to deny Iran the capacity and the wealth… to prevent them from conducting their terror campaigns. And you can see from the events of last week there’s still more work to do”.

Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA)  members convened in Washington and “condemn[ed] in the strongest terms the attack on the Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on September 14 which sought to disrupt oil markets and regional stability”.

The Saudi-led coalition’s spokesperson announced that the 14 September attack on Saudi oil facilities “was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran. We are working to know the exact launch point”. He added that the attack “did not originate from Yemen despite Iran's best efforts to make it appear so”.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo remarked that the 14 September attack on Saudi energy facilities “didn’t come from the Huthis…This was an Iranian attack. It’s not the case that you can subcontract out the devastation of five per cent of the world’s global energy supply and think that you can absolve yourself of responsibilities”. Pompeo also indicated that “we are working to build out a coalition to develop a plan to deter” Iran. He went on to assert that “some suggest that the President’s strategy that we allowed isn’t working. I would argue just the converse of that. I would argue that what you are seeing here is a direct result of us reversing the enormous failure of the JCPOA”. Pompeo added that “55 weeks from now, the whole world can sell exactly these missile systems, conventional missile systems to the Iranian government unencumbered by any sanctions… they’d have more complex ones but for the sanctions we put in place”. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif seized on Pompeo’s characterisation of the 14 September attack as an “act of war” to posit “’act of war’ or agitation for war? Remnants of the B-Team (and ambitious allies) try to deceive President Trump into war”. Zarif also suggested “seizing [the] opportunity to end disaster in Yemen – not widening it”.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed “the unprecedented attacks against Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure” on 14 September. Pompeo stated that “the U.S. stands with Saudi Arabia and supports its right to defend itself. The Iranian regime’s threatening behaviour will not be tolerated”.

President Rouhani suggested that “the Yemeni nation was not the source of the conflict but it was Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Americans, some European countries and the Zionist regime [i.e. Israel] that began the war and destroyed Yemen”. He also contended, referring to the 14 September attack against Saudi energy facilities, that “the Yemenis did not target a school, hospital or market, but they attacked an industrial centre to warn their enemies”. “Iran”, Rouhani added, “has never started to cut ties and disrupt relations, and if even those who have cut ties step forward, we would like to have good relations with all the nations of the region and with our neighbours”. In related remarks, Defence Minister Amir Hatami stated that “a clash has occurred between two countries. One side of the clash are the Yemenis, who have announced explicitly that they have done the job”.

Saudi Arabia signed on the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct.

Vice President Pence asserted that following the 14 September “unprovoked attack on several oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, I promise you: We’re ready… we’re locked and loaded. And we’re ready to defend our interests and our allies in the region”. Pence added that “our maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime is working. But know this: if Iran conducted this latest attack to pressure President Trump to back off, they will fail. America is ready to defend our interests”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif argued that the “U.S. is in denial if it thinks that Yemeni victims of 4.5 years of the worst war crimes wouldn't do all to strike back. Perhaps it's embarrassed that $100s of billions of its arms didn't intercept Yemeni fire”. He added that “blaming Iran won't change that. Ending the war is the only solution for all”. Zarif further stated that “the U.S. isn’t upset when its allies mercilessly bomb babies in Yemen for over four years—with its arms and its military assistance. But it is terribly upset when the victims react the only way they can—against the aggressor's oil refineries”.

Asked about Iran’s possible involvement in 14 September attacks on Saudi oil facilities, U.S. President Trump replied that “we’re having some very strong studies done, but it’s certainly looking that way at this moment… we have a lot of options, but I’m not looking at options right now. We want to find definitively who did this”. He also asserted that “the Saudis want very much for us to protect them, but I say, well, we have to work. That was an attack on Saudi Arabia, and that wasn’t an attack on us. But we would certainly help them”. The Iranians, Trump indicated, “want to meet”, adding that “the sanctions are not going to be taken off”.  

In a statement on the 14 September attacks against Aramco facilities, the Saudi government said that “initial investigations have indicated that the weapons used in the attack were Iranian weapons”, adding that “investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of the attack”.

In a statement on the 14 September attacks against Aramco facilities, the Saudi government said that “initial investigations have indicated that the weapons used in the attack were Iranian weapons”, adding that “investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of the attack”.

Commenting on the 14 September attack against Saudi energy facilities, President Rouhani stated that “this problem has its roots in the Yemeni invasion. We must ask those who invaded Yemen and are bombing it daily why they did it… they have destroyed Yemen and killed a large number of Yemenis, and the Yemeni people have to respond to this [sic] many acts of aggression and guns coming from the U.S. and Europe to Saudi Arabia and the UAE".

President Trump asserted that “Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked. There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!” In a subsequent tweet, Trump maintained that “the Fake News is saying that I am willing to meet with Iran, ‘No Conditions’. That is an incorrect statement (as usual!)”

The Saudi government confirmed that “several explosions occurred as a result of terrorist attacks in Saudi Aramco plants in Khurais and Abqaiq… according to preliminary estimates, these explosions led to the interruption of a quantity of crude oil supplies estimated at 5.7 million barrels, or about 50 per cent of the company’s production”. The Huthis took responsibility for the operation, which they claimed was carried out using “tens of drones”. President Trump subsequently spoke to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and, according to a Saudi readout of the conversation, “reasserted his country’s readiness to cooperate with the Kingdom, by all means conducive to maintain its security and stability”. U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo stated that “Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy. Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen”. He further called on “all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran’s attacks. The U.S. will work with our partners and allies to ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable for its aggression”. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded saying that “having failed at ‘maximum pressure’, Secretary Pompeo is turning to ‘max deceit’”.

The Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee for Follow-up of the Crisis with Iran and Response to its Interventions in Arab Internal Affairs, chaired by the UAE and including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, “condemned Iran's continued support for terrorist and subversive acts in the Arab countries, including the continued firing of Iranian-made ballistic missiles from Yemeni territory into populated cities in the Kingdom”. It also denounced remarks by Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s as “intended to provoke sedition and incite hatred; and which is an extension of the dangerous role of this terrorist party, which is considered as one of the arms of Iran aiming to destabilise the security and stability in the region”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson responded that “the rehash of groundless accusations against [Iran’s] eternal ownership of its three islands in the Persian Gulf and the blame game by some Arab countries whose regional policies have failed are… the reason behind their failure to understand the realities of the region and the world”. He went on to say that “it is regrettable that some, instead of relying on the power of Persian Gulf states, make divergent, unfounded and undocumented allegations about the security of the region and welcome foreigners with their desperation”.

Saudi Arabia downed a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Najran.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabi.

The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, argued that “Iran is using Yemen to increase its status as a regional power… Iran has provided the Huthis with hundreds of millions of dollars and an arsenal of advanced weaponry”. “Iran’s strategic alliance with the Huthis”, Hook wrote, “allows them to target Gulf nations at will with missile and UAV attacks, and to inspire, organise, and direct militant separatist groups in Saudi Arabia’s provinces”. He also posited that Iran’s “alliance with the Huthis now allows Iran to threaten ship traffic in the Bab al-Mandab strait”, and indicated that “newly declassified information shows that Hizbollah is actively supporting the Huthi cause in Yemen, bringing Iran’s proxy network full circle”. Hook went on to underscore that “the Trump administration is focused on reversing Iran’s strategic gains in the region as part of the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign”, and contended that “the Huthis have little gain and a lot to lose by continuing their partnership with Iran”.

Saudi Arabia downed a Huthi ballistic missile reportedly bound for Najran.

Saudi Arabia downed a ballistic missile reportedly bound for Najran, and intercepted a Huthi drone it said was bound for Khamis Mushait.

Saudi Arabia downed a trio of ballistic missiles in Najran and intercepted two Huthi drones, one of which was reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabi.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo met with Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman and “reiterated U.S. support for a negotiated resolution between the Republic of Yemen government and the Southern Transitional Council”. They additionally discussed “the need for stronger maritime security in order to promote freedom of navigation [and] the Iranian regime’s destabilising activities in the region”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two Huthi drones, one inside Yemeni airspace and the second reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait. The coalition also asserted that a ballistic missile fired by the Huthis had landed within Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabi.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two Huthi drones inside Yemeni airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted six ballistic missiles purportedly bound for Jizan.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted Huthi drones reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait and Jizan.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two Huthi drones reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

A senior Saudi official confirmed that “a processing unit of Shaybah’s natural gas plant was targeted by explosive-laden [Huthi] drones, resulting in a limited fire”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone inside Yemeni airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

Secretary of State Pompeo spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed “maritime security, Yemen, countering the Iranian regime’s destabilising activity and human rights”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Jizan.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Abha.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two Huthi drones reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

Reacting to a Huthi attack on a military parade in Aden, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen stated that “the synchronised targeting by the terrorist Iran-backed Huthis and its terrorist sister groups ISIS and AQAP of the security and stability of the interim capital Aden proves their unity of objective: bloodshed and non-recognition of State, laws and inviolability of man”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated that “we have always expressed our interest in communication with neighboring states. But it’s only possible when they give up interference in domestic affairs of other countries”. He added that “if Saudi Arabia is ready for talks, we are ready as well. We have never closed the door of negotiation with our neighbors and won’t do so”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait.

Referring to the recent incidents, Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers stated that “any infringement on the freedom of international maritime navigation is considered a violation of the international law, and the international community must take the necessary action to reject and deter it”.

The Saudi-led coalition reportedly intercepted multiple Huthi drones bound for Asir.

Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, stated that  “any attack on the freedom of navigation is a violation of international law. Iran must realize that its acts of intercepting ships, including most recently the British ship, are completely unacceptable”. He further asserted that “the world community must take actions to deter such behaviour”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson announced that “Iran appreciates efforts by the authorities of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Oman to secure the safe return of Iran’s Happiness 1 oil tanker”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Abha.

U.S. Central Command announced and Saudi Arabia confirmed that “in coordination with and at the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Secretary of Defense has authorized the movement of U.S. personnel and resources to deploy to Saudi Arabia”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Jizan.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted three Huthi drones reportedly bound for Jizan and Abha.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait and downed another inside Yemen’s airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that “the Huthis attempted to attack a commercial ship south of the Red Sea using a booby-trapped boat with explosives”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted drones purportedly bound for an airport in Jizan.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remarked that “Hajj is a political act and this political act is identically a religious obligation. That they prohibit such political acts is itself a political move, but an anti-religious one. That they say you have no right to talk against the U.S. is a Satanic political act”. He further said that “the Saudi government bears major responsibilities. Among their responsibilities is providing security for the pilgrims but they should not create a security atmosphere”.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that a Huthi attack against Abha airport injured nine civilians. The U.S. State Department's spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus, condemned the attack and asserted that “we stand firmly with our Saudi partners in defending their borders against these continued threats by the Huthis, who rely on Iranian-made weapons and technology to carry out such attacks”.

Saudi Arabia downed a Huthi drone reportedly bound for Saudi Arabia within Yemen’s airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two Huthi drones; one was reportedly bound for Jizan while the second was said to have been bound for Asir.

The Saudi-led coalition downed a Huthi drone, said to be bound for Saudi Arabia, inside Yemeni airspace.  

The U.S., Saudi Arabia, the UK and the UAE released a joint statement conveying “concern over escalating tensions in the region and the dangers posed by Iranian destabilising activity to peace and security both in Yemen and the broader region”. The statement went on to “call on Iran to halt any further actions which threaten regional stability, and urge diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions”.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that a Huthi attack on Abha International Airport left one killed and seven injured. Secretary of State Pompeo condemned the attack and contended that “some want to portray the Yemen conflict as an isolated civil war, without a clear aggressor. It is neither. It is spreading conflict and humanitarian disaster that was conceived of and perpetuated by the Islamic Republic of Iran… With every attack conducted by an Iranian proxy, the regime tacks another day onto its forty-year track record of spreading death and chaos in the region, and beyond”. He went on to reiterate that “we will continue our pressure campaign until Iran stops its torrent of violence and meets diplomacy with diplomacy”.

In Riyadh, the U.S. special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, stated that “Iran’s efforts to use surrogates to attack Saudi Arabia and destabilise the region needs to be countered”. He added that “our diplomacy does not give Iran the right to respond with military force, Iran needs to meet our diplomacy with diplomacy and not military force… it’s important we do everything we can do de-escalate”. Saudi Vice Minister of Defence, Khalid bin Salman, reiterated his government’s “support for the U.S. maximum pressure campaign on Iran, which came as a result of continuing Iranian hostility and terrorism”, also underlining “the dangerous role that the Iranian regime plays in Yemen”.

The Saudi-led coalition announced that a projectile fired by the Huthis hit a desalination plant in Jizan, causing no casualties or damage.  

Saudi media reported that “Iranian experts and other Huthi militants were killed during a failed attempt to launch a ballistic missile” in Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia intercepted two Huthi drones; one was reportedly bound for Abha while the second was downed before it entered Saudi airspace.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman declared that Saudi Arabia "does not want a war in the region, but we will not hesitate in dealing with any threat against our people, sovereignty and vital interests". He went on to state that "Iran's recklessness has reached unprecedented levels", adding that "Iran must choose between becoming a normal country that plays a constructive role in the international community or remain a rogue state and assume the international consequences of its choice". Bin Salman also stressed that "the Huthi militias prioritise Iran's agenda over the interests of Yemen and its people", arguing that attacks against the Kingdom "reflect the priorities of Tehran, not Sanaa". 

Saudi Arabia downed a Huthi drone bound for Abha. 

Saudi Arabia announced that its military had "successfully intercepted and destroyed five unmanned drone aircraft launched by Huthi militia towards Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait". 

Following Secretary of State Pompeo's assertion that "Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today", a senior Saudi official indicated that "we have no reason to disagree... Iran has a history of doing this". 

Appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a senior State Department official explained that Secretary Pompeo's 24 May emergency notification on arms sales was spurred by "the significant increase in the intelligence threat streams related to Iran; the clear, provocative and damaging actions taken by Iran's government; and the need to respond to military capability requests from our partners". He also offered his endorsement of the CENTCOM commander's assessment describing "the threats posed by Iran as clear, compelling, very real and possibly imminent". 

The Saudi-led coalition announced that "a hostile projectile fired by the Huthi militia hit the arrivals hall at Abha International Airport", injuring 26. 

Saudi Arabia shot down a pair of Huthi drones reportedly bound for Khamis Mushait. 

In a briefing to the UN Security Council regarding the 12 May tanker incident, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway assessed that "the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor". The Saudi envoy subsequently asserted that "the responsibility for this action lies on the shoulders of Iran. We have no hesitation in making this statement". 

Following a request by Iran, the Saudi-led coalition evacuated a stricken sailor from an Iranian vessel off the Yemeni coast. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif contended that "Western publics and legislatures demand an end to the humanitarian disaster that is the Saudi-Emirati war on Yemen. But their governments provide ever more weapons used to perpetuate war crimes". "Time and again", Zarif added, "our offers of a political way out have been rebuffed. This evil cycle must stop". 

As Saudi Arabia hosted summits of the OIC, GCC and the Arab League, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson contended that “we deem the Saudi efforts to mobilise the views of neighbouring and Arab countries a continuation of the indecisive process that the U.S. and the Zionist regime [i.e. Israel] are pursuing against the Islamic Republic of Iran”. He further stressed that “Saudi Arabia took political and instrumental advantage of the auspicious month of Ramadan and the holy city of Mecca to make accusations against the Islamic Iran from the mouth of some participants in the conference”.

Backing Bolton’s claims that Iran was behind the 12 May Fujairah incident, Secretary Pompeo insisted that “these were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world”.

An Arab League communique criticised “the continuing Iranian interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, supporting terrorism, training terrorists, smuggling arms and explosives, and inciting sectarian strife to destabilise security, order and stability”.

The Arab League held an extraordinary summit in Mecca convened by King Salman “to discuss the serious repercussions” of the 12 May tanker incident off the UAE coast and 14 May drone attack against a Saudi pipeline. A final communique suggested that Iranian actions “directly and dangerously threaten the security and stability in the region”, and urged “the international community to take a firm stand against Iran and its destabilizing activities in the region”.

The GCC Supreme Council issued a communique highlighting “the need that Iran spares the region the dangers of war by abiding by the international laws and conventions, stop interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region, and stop supporting terrorist groups and militias and threatening the security of maritime navigation”. The statement went on to applaud “the actions taken by the U.S. to confront Iran”.

Chairing an emergency session of the GCC Supreme Council in Mecca, King Salman reiterated that “the Iranian regime's support for terrorism over four decades and threat to security and stability in order to expand its influence and hegemony are an act rejected by international norms and conventions”. “The lack of a deterrent and firm stance to confront the subversive activities of the Iranian regime in the region”, King Salman asserted, “has led the Iranian regime to continue and escalate these activities as we see today”. He demanded “the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards the threat posed by Iranian practices”. In separate remarks to the Arab League, King Salman posited that “the hand of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will always be extended for cooperation and dialogue … to enhance development and prosperity and achieve lasting peace for the countries and peoples of the region, including the Iranian people”.

In Abu Dhabi, National Security Advisor John Bolton argued that the 12 May Fujairah incident involved “naval mines almost certainly from Iran”, adding that “it’s clear that Iran is behind the Fujairah attack”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson hit back at Bolton’s remarks, calling them “ridiculous allegation”. “Mr. Bolton and the other warmongering and bellicose ones must know that the Islamic Republic of Iran … will prevent materialization of their ominous plans for creating chaos in the region”, the spokesperson added.

Discussing Secretary Pompeo’s 24 May emergency notification on $8.1 billion in arms sales, the U.S.’ diplomatic spokesperson opined that “due to the deteriorating situation that we saw in the region directly related to Iran of course, and their regional threats, … we had to take this action because it helps our partners better defend themselves”.

In remarks to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf stated that “Tehran’s support for Huthi militias in Yemen is proof of Iranian interference in other nations’ affairs and this is something that Islamic countries should reject”. Describing the Fujairah incident and Saudi pipeline attacks earlier in the month as “terrorist attacks”, al-Assad urged that they “must be countered with determination”.

The Saudi-led coalition’s spokesperson indicated that “we have documented information on the supply of missiles by the Revolutionary Guard to the Huthi militia in Yemen”. He added that “over 35 Huthi terrorist acts in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea have been foiled”, and stated that “we are planning to speed up the military pace to neutralise Huthi threats”.

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone allegedly attempting to target King Abdullah Airport in Jizan.

Saudi Arabia's UN envoy urged the Security Council "to shoulder its responsibilities by taking a firm stand against the Iran-backed terrorist Huthi militias after targeting vital populated areas in the Kingdom with ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles".

In an emergency notification, Secretary of State Pompeo "directed the Department to complete immediately the formal notification of 22 pending arms transfers to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia totaling approximately $8.1 billion to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defence capacity". "Today's actions", Pompeo asserted, "will quickly augment our partners' capacity to provide for their own self-defence and reinforce recent changes to U.S. posture in the region to deter Iran". 

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a Huthi drone purportedly attempting to target Najran Regional Airport.

Referring to the rocket fired near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on 19 May and 12 May Fujairah incident, a senior Iranian defence official remarked that "if one day the evidence of recent events is revealed, then we will find that the Saudis, along with the United States, are the main cause". "The Saudis", he added, "are trying to undermine the security of the UAE for punishing the UAE and getting concessions and the United States is trying to exploit the mercenary countries in the region with the policy of Iranophobia". He also insisted that "we are not seeking any war, and we will not start it, but we are fully ready to defend [ourselves]".

A Saudi cabinet statement asserted that “Iran and its agents need to move away from its reckless behaviour and spare the region the risks and not push them to undesirable consequences”. The ministers also affirmed that Saudi Arabia “will do everything in its power to prevent any war, and that its hand is always extended to peace and seeks to achieve it”.

The Saudi-led coalition asserted that "Huthi militants had tried to hit a civilian facility in Saudi Arabia's southern border province of Najran with a drone carrying explosives". 

Saudi Arabia reportedly shot down a pair of Huthi missiles; media reports posited they were intended for Mecca and Jeddah but intercepted en route at Taif. Huthi leadership subsequently responded by saying that "what the Saudi regime claims about targeting Mecca is a big lie and a despicable claim... it is well-known that the criminal Saudi regime first raises false claims and then confesses to facts that it had previously concealed".

U.S. Central Command stated that "Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations commenced enhanced security patrols across the region in international waters May 18", adding that "ships of the GCC - both navies and coast guards - are working in tight coordination with each other and the United States navy".   

An unidentified Huthi source was cited as indicating that the 14 May drone attack against Saudi oil facilities constituted "the beginning of military operations against 300 vital military targets", which, according to the source, "included military vital headquarters and facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia as well as their bases in Yemen". 

A senior Huthi official, speaking one day after drone attacks against a Saudi pipeline, reportedly "denied they were acting on Iran's behalf, but were instead defending themselves against the Saudi-led" coalition.  

The Saudi government reported that "two pump stations on the East-West pipeline were attacked by armed drones which caused a fire and minor damage to Pump Station No. 8"; a senior official stressed that "these attacks prove again that it is important for us to face terrorist entities, including the Huthi militias in Yemen that are backed by Iran". A Huthi spokesperson subsequently took responsibility for the action, stating that "this is a message to Saudi Arabia, stop your aggression. Our goal is to respond to the crimes they are committing every day against the Yemeni people".  In June, media reports citing U.S. officials suggested that the drone had been launched from Iraq.

Discussing the 12 May Fujairah incident, an unnamed U.S. officials speculated that "this is what Iran does... the sort of thing you could see Iran doing". Separate reports relayed an "initial assessment" that "Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies" were culpable for damage to four vessels made by "explosive charges". 

The UAE indicated that "four commercial ships were subjected to sabotage operations... near UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman". The Saudi government announced the following day that "two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, while on their way to the Arabian Gulf... it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels". Iran's diplomatic spokesperson called the developments "concerning and regrettable". 

Saudi security forces "launched a preemptive security operation" in the east of the country, killing "eight extremists belonging to a recently-formed terrorist cell". 

In an advisory, the U.S Maritime Administration assessed that "since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partners interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait or the Persian Gulf". 

CENTCOM's commander asserted that "as we witness the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, it's important to remember that Iran is behind the irresponsible behaviour that actually led to the overthrow of the government in Yemen and created the crisis we now have in Yemen. The humanitarian tragedy that we confront in Yemen is the child of Iranian ambition and their support for the Huthis in trying to create a Hizbollah-like state in Yemen". He also indicated that "the Iranian regime has smuggled ballistic missiles into Yemen and assisted with their construction and deployment. And they're employed by the Huthis against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as against the United Arab Emirates, threatening our partners as well as Americans who live and work there. They've also irresponsibly fired missiles into the Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, where vital commerce and oil transport occurs".