Trump threatens harsher strikes on Iran, while the Houthis shift the confrontation from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea

BETH | B

The US-Iran war has entered a more dangerous phase after US President Donald Trump announced that he was considering broader strikes on Iran, as the escalation spreads to the Red Sea and Yemen.

Following a meeting with senior advisers, Trump said he had not made a final decision on a major military operation, but presented Tehran with two options: reach an agreement or face “much harsher” strikes.

Iran, meanwhile, announced that it had launched new attacks on military facilities used by the United States in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that his country retained the right to respond to any state that participates in, cooperates with, or supports Washington’s operations.

For the first time in nearly two weeks, no new US strikes on Iran were reported overnight from Friday to Saturday, following thirteen consecutive nights of attacks. Washington has not indicated whether this represents a temporary pause or a change in the course of operations.

In a strategic shift, the Houthis expanded the confrontation from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by targeting commercial vessels and threatening maritime traffic linked to Saudi ports.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen responded with a military operation targeting Houthi positions in Hodeidah Governorate associated with threats to shipping. The coalition confirmed that Yemen’s ports had not been targeted and remained open to maritime navigation.

Trump also warned Russia and China against supplying Iran with weapons, amid US investigations into whether intelligence or technology had reached Tehran and helped it target American positions in the region.

What Comes Next?

The war is no longer confined to the United States and Iran, nor to the Strait of Hormuz. By opening a second maritime front in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, the Houthis have extended the conflict to two waterways that handle a significant share of global trade and energy supplies.

A single night without US strikes is not enough to suggest that de-escalation has begun. It could represent a final window for negotiations, or an operational pause preceding a broader wave of attacks.

The next phase could follow one of three paths:

A swift agreement that reopens the maritime passages and ends the exchange of strikes.

A broad US escalation targeting Iran’s remaining missile and naval capabilities.

A prolonged regional war extending across Iran, the Gulf, Yemen, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea.

More dangerously, Iran appears to be attempting to compensate for its military losses by expanding the geographical scope of the confrontation, bringing its allies into the war, and raising the cost of maritime transport and energy for the world.

Expanding the battlefield, however, does not alter the balance of power. It merely increases the number of affected states and gives Tehran’s adversaries further justification to widen their operations.

After 144 days, the question is no longer:

Will the war expand?

It already has.

The question now is:

Can anyone stop it before the world’s maritime arteries become open battlefronts?