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Gaza-linked regional escalation
Israeli Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel’s attacks in Gaza “have once again shown that Netanyahu does not want peace,” and he also called them “acts of terror.”
“Fidan also condemned Israel's attacks in Gaza, saying that they "have once again shown that Netanyahu does not want peace,"”
Fidan made the remarks while attending a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Egypt, following an interim deal between the US and Iran.
In the same live-update reporting, Reuters said Saudi Arabia expected coordinated attacks by Houthis and Iraqi militias, with an official describing observed drones and missiles being moved.
Reuters also reported that Israeli strikes in Syria were described by Fidan as a threat to stability, as the regional conflict is framed as tied to the wider Iran conflict.
Saudi warnings and coalition
A senior Saudi official speaking to Reuters said intelligence suggests the Houthis and Iraqi armed groups may launch new attacks under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including on energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
Ynetnews reported that a Saudi official told CNN that intelligence assessments from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional countries indicate some Iraqi militia members, acting in coordination with the Houthis and under the direction of the IRGC, are planning to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia "in the very near future."
The Times of Israel said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the rebels attacked government positions with ballistic missiles and drones in response to an alleged military buildup backed by neighboring Saudi Arabia.
In the same reporting thread, the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of carrying out “terrorist attacks using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects,” as it said 11 civilians were wounded Thursday in southern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border.
What’s at stake next
Saudi Arabia’s security planning is tied to a broader effort to deter attacks and protect shipping, with El País reporting that Riyadh announced plans to create an international defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping routes and energy supply in the Red Sea region.
“Riyadh announced on Thursday its plans to create an international defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping routes”
El País said Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported that 14 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, issued a joint statement in support of the proposed coalition.
The Jerusalem Post live updates also tied the regional posture to the defense pact process, noting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after they signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on August 7, 2026.
In the same El País account, Hizam al-Assad of the Houthi political bureau said, “There is no security for the invading Saudi forces, nor for their mercenaries, nor for their camps on our territory,” as the Houthis frame their offensives across Marib and Hadramout and into Najran.
