Iran warned on Sunday against any big new attack by the United States and its allies, saying it had information such a move was being prepared, adding to the anxiety in a region already on edge after drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s military central command said on state media that any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation<\/a> against US bases and interests, and that Washington\u2019s regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict. It did not elaborate on the information it said it had about a coming US attack.<\/p>\n The US State Department issued a security alert on Saturday saying there was potential for unforeseen escalation<\/a> in the Middle East and Americans should exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.<\/p>\n Women affiliated with Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard march with a banner of US President Donald Trump in crosshairs in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. Behnam Tofighi\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Nearly seven months into the US-Iran war, neither side has looked ready to make major concessions needed to end the fighting and with global energy markets already stretched, the conflict continues to spill over into other crises around the region.<\/p>\n On Saturday, Yemen\u2019s Iran-backed Houthis<\/a>, who made major advances along Yemen\u2019s Red Sea coast after the country\u2019s civil war reignited this month, said they had carried out strikes in the Saudi capital Riyadh and on a major oil facility in the kingdom\u2019s Red Sea port of Yanbu.<\/p>\n Reuters video showed a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the area of Riyadh\u2019s main international airport after booms were heard in the Saudi capital overnight.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia did not comment on the incident or the Houthi claims, though a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had foiled other attacks on the kingdom. The US State Department alert cited Houthi hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.<\/p>\n Female members of Iranian militia forces, Basij, carry missile mock-ups during a military march in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. via REUTERS<\/p>\n The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Iran\u2019s statement that it had information about a coming US attack.<\/p>\n Recent escalation by the Houthis has forced Riyadh into a painful dilemma: continue airstrikes on the group to stop it seizing more Yemeni territory<\/a> or step back in the hopes of averting drone strikes on critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n Strikes on Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n The Houthi gains along the coast mean the group\u2019s forces now sit on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them easier control over shipping traveling between the Red Sea and Asia and the ability to blockade the crucial waterway.<\/p>\n Members of Iranian militia forces, Basij, attend a military march in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. via REUTERS<\/p>\n With Iran already having blockaded most shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the oil-rich Gulf\u2019s energy exports are now almost entirely cut off from global markets, adding to pressure on global oil prices.<\/p>\n