# Iran warns of retaliation as US weighs new Middle East strikes

> Tensions spike after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with Trump considering military action and Iran threatening US bases across the region.
- Title: Iran warns of retaliation as US weighs new Middle East strikes
- Summary: Tensions spike after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with Trump considering military action and Iran threatening US bases across the region. Iran claims the…
- Keywords: iran, houthis, saudi arabia, yemen, donald trump, us military action, middle east, red sea, gulf cooperation council, news, world, warns
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/middle-east-braces-for-more-violence-as-iran-claims-us-is-planning-to-renew-bombing-campaign
- Published: 2026-09-20T18:56:45+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: iran, houthis, saudi arabia, yemen, donald trump, us military action, middle east, red sea, gulf cooperation council, news, world
## Houthis strike Saudi oil hub
Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked Riyadh on Saturday, striking Aramco oil facilities and the port of Yanbu. It was the first sustained attack on the capital since the Saudi-Houthi ceasefire broke down in June.
## Iran claims US plans bombing campaign
Iran claimed it had received intelligence that the US was preparing a renewed bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic. Governments across the Middle East are bracing for an escalation of violence.
## Trump cuts short Camp David visit
Donald Trump cut short a weekend visit to Camp David on Sunday with no official explanation. A new security alert was issued by the state department to all US citizens in the Middle East.
## Trump weighs military options
Trump told a Fox News reporter that very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future. His options included wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal.

> wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal
## Iran threatens US bases and forces
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that if an attack takes place, all US bases and interests in the region will become targets of continuous, effective and painful attacks without any limitations or considerations.

> all US bases and interests in the region will become targets of continuous, effective and painful attacks without any limitations or considerations
## Houthis capture Red Sea ports
The Houthis suddenly captured strategic ports along Yemen's west coast overlooking the Red Sea, giving them control of the Bab al-Mandab strait. This narrow waterway takes commercial shipping through the Red Sea towards Asia.
## Trump rejects Saudi military request
Trump spurned a call by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman asking the US to come to Saudi's direct military help after the Houthis captured the Red Sea ports. Trump cited a Houthi commitment to only target Saudi-related shipping.
## France summons Iran's ambassador
France will summon Iran's ambassador after Iranian authorities closed a French-language centre affiliated with its embassy in Tehran. The Iranian judiciary accused the centre of conducting illegal acts that violated diplomatic conventions.
## Iran sets peace preconditions
Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's new secretary of the supreme national security council, told Al Jazeera that Iran's seven preconditions for peace remained. These include the US lifting its blockade of Iran oil ports and lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
## Trump to meet Gulf states at UN
Trump is due to meet the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council when he attends the UN general assembly in New York this week. The meeting is likely to cover Iran, Yemen, Gaza and the future of the US security guarantee.
## Houthis claim 318 ships passed through strait
The Houthi government said three hundred eighteen ships passed through the strait from September tenth to eighteenth. This demonstrates the Houthis' control of a critical shipping route despite ongoing military pressure from Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.
## Key takeaway

Iran claims the US is preparing a bombing campaign after Houthi rebels attacked Saudi oil facilities, prompting Trump to consider military options and Iran to threaten US bases and interests across the Middle East.