Updated

Fighting has escalated in Yemen, with Houthi rebels launching attacks that triggered alerts in Saudi Arabia, injuring 73 people and sparking fires at oil facilities; Yemen's government accused the Houthis of killing three children, while the rebels claimed Saudi forces conducted retaliatory strikes. Saudi Arabia's UN representative Abdulaziz al-Wasil told the UN Security Council that Riyadh would take 'all necessary measures to deter Houthi attacks and protect our security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,' while voicing support for a Yemeni-led political solution. The Houthis' rapid advance along the Red Sea coast has put them in a strong position to seize 'full control' of the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, according to maritime security analysts, bolstering Iran's regional leverage as Saudi-backed forces reel from the offensive. Separately, UKMTO reported that unidentified projectiles struck two vessels near Oman's Khasab, setting one ablaze, in an incident illustrating the widening threat to shipping in the region.