Two people were wounded and a mosque was damaged after a Houthi projectile struck Saudi Arabia’s southern Jazan region on September 13, 2026.
Projectiles Strike Saudi Arabia as Red Sea and Pipeline Tensions Mount
Saudi Civil Defence reported that two people were wounded and several buildings, vehicles, and a mosque were damaged after a projectile fired by the Yemeni Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s southern Jazan region on Saturday. The incident took place in the al-Tuwal governorate, while separate warnings were issued for residents in the Khamis Mushait governorate.
A civil defence spokesperson characterized the targeting of civilian objects as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law
, noting that established emergency procedures had been implemented.
The weekend escalation follows a series of strikes earlier in the week. On Tuesday, the group targeted civilian and economic facilities across Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran, wounding 73 people, including women and children. International concern has also mounted over shipping disruptions after Yemen’s Houthis seized a key island and captured a Red Sea port.
Diplomatic Stalling and the Strait of Hormuz Standoff
Peace talks remain stalled six months into the conflict, with no negotiations taking place between the United States and Iran since a June agreement collapsed within weeks. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, dismissed immediate prospects for diplomacy in a post on X on Saturday, stating,
“As long as the American side does not accept all of Iran’s conditions, dialogue and negotiation are of no use.”
Despite the rigid stance, Iran’s foreign ministry announced plans to attend a meeting with Gulf Arab states in Oman on Monday to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz. However, a senior Iranian official speaking to Reuters dampened expectations of a major breakthrough, noting the talks were intended to discuss issues surrounding the waterway rather than yield a signed agreement. An understanding between Iran and Oman does not provide for an immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but rather establishes a basis on which it could reopen, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Iraq Investigates Pipeline Attacks as International Partners Respond
The conflict’s physical footprint widened significantly when Iraq’s government announced on Saturday that attacks on a key Saudi oil pipeline originated from Iraqi territory, pledging a full investigation. In response, Iraq closed two key border crossings with Iran, halting all passenger and commercial traffic until further notice.
Wider Humanitarian Toll and UN Warnings
The renewed fighting follows the collapse of roughly four years of relative calm under a United Nations-brokered truce. Houthi fighters have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, seizing the strategic port city of Mocha, while Yemeni government forces have opened new fronts in al-Jawf, Marib, and al-Bayda.
The International Organization for Migration and local officials report that more than 500 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the latest round of fighting. The UN Security Council convened an emergency session on the crisis this month, with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warning that Yemen faces what he described as a new and more dangerous phase of war
.
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