The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families stationed in Saudi Arabia to leave the country due to the escalating attacks by Houthi militants against that nation.
According to a report by The New York Times citing unnamed U.S. officials, at the time of this move, the U.S. military and the Israeli military had already devised a new round of strikes against Iran, with plans to carry them out after next month's mid-term elections.
The New York Times reports that related "brief but intense" action plans are being advanced.
These developments indicate that the nearly eight-month-long war may further intensify, while negotiators from the United States and Iran are still discussing Tehran's nuclear program as well as the issue of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott posted on X that this order only applies to Saudi Arabia, citing the increasing attacks by Houthi forces allied with Iran on civilian targets. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Washington also plans to evacuate family members from other missions in the region.
Saudi Press Agency reported that an attack on Dammam King Fahd International Airport on Wednesday resulted in at least one death and eight injuries. The agency also reported that a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's oil field in Shayba caused two deaths, but operations were not affected.
The New York Times also reported that in recent days, the US military and the Israeli military have intensified their military exercises, including flying over Iraq to practice strike maneuvers. The newspaper also reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Israel on an unpublicized trip this week and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a possible new round of strikes.
According to The New York Times, the new military strikes are likely to target Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, as well as its missile and drone arsenals. The report indicates that U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet approved the new strike plan, and he has rejected plans for a return to large-scale combat on several occasions this year.
Iranian officials vow to expand the scope of their attacks, targeting data centers and undersea internet cables, while refusing to make concessions on their nuclear program.
Despite the ongoing disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, consulting firm Kpler indicates that the flow of crude oil from the Middle East through this critical strait has returned to levels close to those before the war.
According to Kpler, as the price of Brent crude oil once broke through $110 per barrel, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil rose by 1% to $98.12. The renewed demand for crude oil in China could drive oil prices even higher.
Kpler Senior Crude Oil Analyst Muyu Xu stated: "Driven by the increase in refinery operating rates and the rapid decline in crude oil inventories, China's demand for crude oil imports is expected to continue to recover." She estimates that this war has caused China's oil inventories to decrease, with the rate of inventory reduction in September reaching a record of 1.6 million barrels per day.
Xu indicates that China currently still holds 1.1 billion barrels of reserves, which is approximately equivalent to 80 days of refinery demand. She added that since almost all Iranian goods not affected by the US sanctions have been unloaded, it is unlikely that there will be a significant increase in crude oil arriving at Chinese ports.
According to Xu, in the face of higher processing volumes and replenishment needs, Chinese state-owned refineries may be more willing and eager to secure spot Middle Eastern crude oil. She also stated that independent refineries are looking for alternative sources of Iranian crude oil, and this change could limit a further decline in the composition of Dubai crude oil.
