The US-Iran conflict entered a new phase after the United States paused its military strikes against Iran for the first time in nearly two weeks. However, the conflict continued to spread beyond the Persian Gulf into the Red Sea and the Caspian Sea. The US military confirmed that its naval blockade against Iran remains in place. Meanwhile, no new Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries were reported over the weekend.

US officials said President Donald Trump still prefers a diplomatic solution while maintaining military pressure on Tehran. Reports said senior advisers urged caution over concerns about air defence stockpiles, relations with Gulf allies, global energy supplies, and the risk of a wider regional war. Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reportedly supported delaying broader military action.

Despite the pause in US airstrikes, fighting intensified elsewhere. Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu along the Red Sea coast. Verified footage showed heavy smoke near the Jizan refinery, while air defences intercepted two missiles aimed at oil facilities in Yanbu before impact.

Iran also accused Ukraine of attacking one of its commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea. Iranian officials said the attack killed one sailor and injured another. Tehran summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to lodge a formal protest. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed Russia shared satellite intelligence with Iran to support its military operations.

The US-Iran conflict has also increased tensions in Yemen. Saudi-backed forces launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Marib and al-Jawf after a ceasefire collapsed. The Houthis warned that Saudi oil facilities could become targets and maintained their naval blockade. The latest developments have raised fresh concerns over regional security, global energy supplies, and international shipping.