U. S.
President Donald Trump warned Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels on July 22 of major military consequences following recent attacks on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, as the regional conflict continues to escalate.
Military preparations are visibly ramping up across multiple theaters, with increased refueling aircraft deployments to Israel, B-1 bombers departing U.
K. bases, and additional medical personnel dispatched to the Landstuhl military base in Germany.
Global oil prices surged past $100 per barrel for the first time in over two months on Thursday as traffic slowed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Pentagon assertions that the passage remains open.
Intelligence reports indicated that Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and missile equipment to Yemen on July 13 to bolster Houthi capabilities in threatening Red Sea shipping routes.
"The IRGC commanders traveled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems," said one source, according to Reuters.
Trump voiced strong displeasure over the maritime disruptions aimed at Saudi Arabia's trade routes in the crucial waterway.
The American president said he was "very disappointed" in the Houthis for attacking two Saudi ships this week, and warned that if they did it again, both the rebels and their Iranian benefactors would face "major military punishment."
In response to escalating security risks, the British government temporarily withdrew all remaining diplomatic staff from Iran, shifting operations to a remote setup after previously pulling embassy personnel in June amid Israeli airstrikes.
"Due to the security situation, UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely," said the UK Foreign Office.
The agency also reiterated warnings to its citizens regarding travel safety within the country.
The Foreign Office "advises against all travel to Iran.
If you are a British national already in Iran, either resident or visitor, carefully consider your presence there and the risks you take by staying," said the statement.
Amid diplomatic shifts, two China-linked supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of Saudi oil successfully transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday after adjusting their listed crew destinations, despite Houthi threats to block Saudi-linked maritime traffic.
In Washington, legislative efforts to limit executive authority over the conflict yielded mixed results, as the U. S.
House voted 214 to 208 to direct an end to military hostilities against Iran without express congressional authorization, though a similar measure subsequently failed to advance in the Senate.
