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All the latest on Saudi Arabia: articles, analysis and ongoing coverage from Lost in the Jungle.
World
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey have sealed a defense pact, according to Le Monde. All three countries are allied with the United States. This announcement aims to send a message to Iran and to Washington. It comes at a time when the United States is perceived as an increasingly unreliable partner.
World
Saudi Arabia has abandoned its posture of restraint to openly assume its military operations against Iran-backed networks, according to Le Monde on July 30, 2026. This turning point occurs within a sequence of regional escalation: during the night of July 29-30, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) struck dozens of targets in Iran, killing at least 3 people. The United States and Riyadh then conducted joint strikes in Iraq, causing 20 deaths including 5 Iranian military advisors. Three oil tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz and pro-Iranian groups are threatening Saudi assets.
World
Brent crude oil dropped more than 5% on July 27, 2026, settling at approximately $92 per barrel, after the United States and Iran both suspended their mutual strikes over the weekend of July 26–27. Washington had conducted 13 consecutive nights of raids on Iran before this pause. An Omani mediator traveled to Tehran on July 25 to facilitate negotiations. The Houthi militia in Yemen struck Saudi Arabian oil facilities, causing maritime traffic in the Bab al-Mandab Strait to plummet to its lowest level in months.
World
Iran described its discussions with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz as 'productive' on July 26, 2026, according to Handelsblatt. On the same date, the Houthi militia claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is providing Iran with satellite intelligence. Iran also condemned a Ukrainian attack on a cargo vessel.
World
Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis claimed a strike against a Saudi oil refinery on July 25, 2026, according to the Washington Post. The Strait of Hormuz is closed, already disrupting global oil markets. New Houthi strikes could intensify this pressure on oil supplies. The Iran-linked conflict is now expanding into the Red Sea.
World
On July 25, 2026, the Houthi militia, an Iran-allied group active in Yemen, vowed to retaliate against Saudi Arabia following airstrikes on Yemeni territory, according to Handelsblatt. This incident reflects an ongoing escalation of Middle East conflict, which also involves the United States under the Trump administration. However, key details remain unclear, including the exact origins of the airstrikes and the precise nature of the Houthi threats.
World
On July 25, 2026, a Hong Kong-flagged supertanker turned back just before reaching the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb to avoid Houthi attacks, according to Bloomberg. The vessel was en route to Yanbu, a Saudi Arabian port on the Red Sea. The Houthis have launched a blockade targeting ships linked to Saudi Arabia in this area.
World
Two rockets reportedly fired from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia were said to have been intercepted on July 25, 2026, according to Handelsblatt. On the same day, the U.S. military reportedly fired on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The Saudi-led coalition reportedly struck targets in Yemen in response to an attack on a vessel. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is engaged in discussions with Iran. This information comes from a single source and has not been independently confirmed.
Business
The United States signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on July 23, 2026. The next day, Trump announced on Truth Social that the deal is "entirely subordinate" to Riyadh's accession to the Abraham Accords—diplomatic normalization treaties between Israel and several Arab states. Trump asserts the agreement bars any uranium enrichment on Saudi soil. According to an unconfirmed Wall Street Journal report, the deal could nonetheless allow the construction of a U.S. enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia.
World
Houthi rebels have declared their intention to block Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, according to Al Jazeera. At the same time, Iran has attempted to establish an airlift between Tehran and Sanaa to deploy military advisors and drone technicians to Houthi-controlled zones. The Houthis also threaten navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, encircling Saudi Arabia on both its maritime flanks. Riyadh, the world's leading crude oil exporter, has so far avoided direct confrontation with Tehran for nearly a decade.
World
Iran's IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on July 21, 2026, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel—confirmed by UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations). The US completed its 10th consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran, targeting military command centres and missile sites. At least 3 American soldiers were killed and nearly 100 wounded. Yemeni Houthis announced an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, closing the Bab al-Mandeb strait through which ~12% of global trade normally passes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the conflict as 'full-scale war'.
World
Two American military personnel were killed on July 18, 2026 during Iranian strikes in Jordan, according to the Financial Times. On the same day, Iran reportedly struck Saudi Arabia for the first time in several months as part of escalating tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz. The incident underscores intensifying conflict over this critical waterway. Both reports stem from a single source and have not been independently verified by other media outlets or official statements from US, Jordanian, Saudi, or Iranian authorities.