Houthis attack Saudi Arabia as Gulf-Iran talks are postponed
Planned diplomatic talks between Gulf states and Iran in Oman were called off after Houthi forces launched missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia.
A planned diplomatic breakthrough over maritime navigation collapsed on Monday, 14 September 2026, as regional hostilities deepened. Arab states in the Persian Gulf called off high-stakes talks with Iran scheduled to take place in Oman, choosing instead to defer negotiations as renewed military escalations rattled global energy markets, according to Thestar. The diplomatic breakdown unfolded concurrently with a fresh barrage of missile and drone strikes launched by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement against military and energy infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia.
The postponed summit in Muscat was intended to address the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil shipping lane, which has remained largely paralyzed since the outbreak of the wider conflict on 28 February 2026, as reported by Cbc. Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi announced overnight that the meeting was deferred in the interests of consensus
, while Tehran maintained that the delay occurred at the direct request of Saudi Arabia, according to Irishtimes.
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Simultaneously, the Houthi movement executed a sweeping wave of retaliation. The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that dozens of drones and missiles targeted the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, striking aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways, and ammunition depots in response to an intensification of Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, as documented by 24newshd. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in Khamis Mushait and three other southern cities, with residents reporting intense blasts and lingering fires, according to Pakistantoday.
This military flare-up follows a dramatic lightning advance by Houthi forces across Yemen. Last week, the group seized control of the Red Sea port of Mocha and Perim Island within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively securing a second vital chokepoint alongside their maritime pressures in the north, as reported by The Guardian. The renewed violence has triggered widespread humanitarian displacement. The International Organization for Migration estimated that more than 82,000 Yemenis have fled their homes since the beginning of the month, joining communities facing severe shortages of food and water near government-held areas like Taiz.
Energy markets reacted violently to the dual shocks of the Houthi airbase attack and the ongoing shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline.
| Commodity / Indicator | Market Value / Metric | Operational Status & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Crude Oil | Above $108 – $109 per barrel | Rose more than 3% to 4% on Monday following pipeline damage and Hormuz stagnation. |
| U.S. Retail Diesel | All-time high above $6.23 per gallon | Politically sensitive fuel costs climbing as supply routes face persistent wartime restrictions. |
| Strait of Hormuz Traffic | Single-digit daily transits | Fell well below the pre-war average of 125 vessels per day amid Iranian warnings and a list of 77 restricted ships. |
| Saudi East-West Pipeline | Completely shut down | Loss of bypass capacity threatens up to 4% of global oil supplies while satellite imagery confirms severe fire damage. |
Amid these converging crises, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held urgent consultations in Jeddah on Monday with U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, according to Thestar. While Riyadh has pressed Washington for direct military assistance against the Houthis, sources indicate that the United States has thus far limited its backing to intelligence and logistical support, wary of expanding the conflict into a costly new theatre.
Readers should monitor upcoming diplomatic announcements from Oman regarding any rescheduled dates for the GCC-Iran maritime talks, alongside updates from Saudi state media on repair timelines for the damaged East-West pipeline and the trajectory of Houthi movements along Yemen's Red Sea coast.
