Iran live updates: Saudi Arabia shuts down key pipeline after multiple attacks
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz as the primary flashpoint. Trump said in August that the U.S. would launch a "crushing economic operation" to force Tehran into submission.
The Trump administration is offering significant intelligence and targeting assistance to Saudi Arabia, but it does not currently plan on launching direct military attacks against the Houthis, two U.S. officials told ABC News.
Both officials cautioned that the administration’s thinking could change, particularly if the threat to Red Sea shipping lanes escalates significantly.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman spoke with President Donald Trump about the situation twice on Thursday, one official said, adding that the Saudi leader was seeking direct military intervention from the U.S. but that he did not indicate it was absolutely critical at this time.
"The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests -- such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea -- while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges,” a senior Trump administration official said when asked about the president’s calls with MBS. "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability.”
Another official said the Saudi government has communicated a willingness to launch a major military operation against the Houthis in recent days, even if it means going it alone, but that Riyadh had not yet made a final decision.
Both officials said that the Trump administration is continuing to closely monitor the situation in Yemen and that although assessments from earlier Friday indicated that the Houthis had taken control of the country’s west coast, Yemeni government forces and aligned militias were continuing to fight back and the situation could still change rapidly without outside intervention.
The Houthis (and their Iranian backers) are aware that attempting to choke off traffic in the Bab al-Mandeb would very likely trigger a stronger response from Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and potentially other countries. They have issued multiple statements indicating the strait is open to commercial traffic, but Houthi strikes on Saudi-linked ships have increased the risk level for all vessels, according to analysts.
Saudi Arabia announced it has shut down the East-West pipeline as a precautionary measure, saying it was subjected to multiple attacks on Thursday.
The attacks resulted in a number of injuries, according to Saudi Arabia.
An official source in the Ministry of Energy said "emergency teams and specialized technical crews initiated operations immediately following the attacks, taking the necessary procedures to secure the pipeline and verify its integrity in accordance with approved safety procedures and emergency response plans, in coordination with relevant authorities."
This handout satellite image taken by Planet Labs PBC on September 11, 2026 shows a general view of an infrastructure site after it was damaged by fire southeast of Medina along the general route of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline (Petroline)Handout/Planet Labs/AFP via Getty ImagesThe East West pipeline goes from Saudia Arabia’s eastern oil fields, to the port of Yanbu in the west where oil can go to the rest of the world through the Bab al Mandeb strait.
This pipeline has been a critical means of mitigating the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran claims that there will be a regional meeting with Gulf countries on Monday to discuss "the results of the negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the establishment of safe routes for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," according to Iranian state TV, which cited Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.
There has been no confirmation yet from the GCC countries on what states will be attending but the gathering, if it happens, would be the first meeting between the top diplomats from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and a senior Iranian official since the U.S. and Israel launched the war against the Islamic republic in February.
During a speech at the Pentagon to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Trump brought up the war with Iran as he discussed America's response to global terror in the quarter century since the attacks.
"For 25 years our best and bravest have kept America safe and today we salute every member of the United States military who served in the war on terror. It is a war on sick, horrible terror," he said.
President Donald Trump speaks as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens during an observance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Sept. 11, 2026, at the Pentagon in Washington.Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
"We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic republic of Iran, will never ever have a nuclear weapon," he added.
