U.S. military strikes against Yemen or Iran reportedly canceled

Speculation regarding imminent U.S. military strikes against Yemen or Iran subsided after planned attacks were reportedly canceled. On Saturday, reports indicated that B-1 long-range bombers had departed from the United Kingdom and tankers were flying over Saudi Arabia, fueling fears of a major escalation.

The tension followed an Ansar Allah attack from Yemen against an airport near Riyadh, which resulted in visible flames and smoke near the Saudi capital. In response, Saudi Arabia signaled it would launch a “massive” and coordinated retaliation with coalition partners.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters issued a warning, stating that if the United States were to strike Iran, all American bases and interests in the region would be targeted with “sustained, effective, and painful attacks.” Despite the high state of readiness, no American or Saudi strikes were carried out.