Middle East escalation: Iranian strikes hit US aircraft in Jordan, Brent crude tops $107 after Houthi seizure of Mokha, vessels attacked near Oman's Khasab

Satellite imagery and fire-detection data are raising questions over whether Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has struck Saudi Arabia’s strategically important East-West oil pipeline, although there is no independent confirmation yet that the pipeline itself was hit.

A large smoke plume was reportedly visible over the desert southeast of Medina, along the general route of the pipeline toward Mahd adh-Dhahab. NASA’s FIRMS system also showed clustered thermal anomalies in the area. FIRMS provides near-real-time satellite detections of active fires, but its data do not by themselves identify what is burning or establish who caused it.

The reported fire comes as the Houthi-Saudi conflict is rapidly escalating. On Sept. 8, Houthi forces launched a major wave of missile and drone attacks against southern Saudi Arabia, with strikes reported around Jazan, Abha, Najran and Khamis Mushait. Saudi Arabia has since carried out retaliatory strikes in Yemen.

Four unidentified projectiles struck two vessels near Khasab, Oman, late on Thursday (Sept. 10), setting one vessel ablaze and adding to a rapidly escalating series of attacks threatening commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the vessels were struck about 4 nautical miles west of Khasab. One caught fire, while the condition of the second vessel was not immediately known. The incident was recorded in UKMTO Warning 133-26, issued at 1910 UTC (11:10 PM GST on Sept. 10, 2026).

Several US military aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, including an A-10 attack aircraft that lost a wing, according to people with direct knowledge of the incident cited by CBS News.

About eight F-15 fighter jets also sustained light damage but were returned to service, the sources said. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the damage publicly. No US deaths have been reported in the strikes.

The attacks occurred overnight Tuesday into Wednesday local time, after the US military said it struck and disabled five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for attempted Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy warship. Iran’s IRGC later claimed attacks on eight tankers and two warships, including US assets at the Jordanian base.

US forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot interceptor missiles during the attacks, the channel reported. The disclosure comes amid growing concern within the US military over declining stocks of defensive missiles and other precision munitions.

Brent crude topped $107.6/barrel as of 7.29am Tokyo on Friday as markets reacted to the Houthis’ seizure of Yemen’s Red Sea port of Mokha, near the Bab Al Mandeb Strait. Brent Crude rose by $6.42 or 6.34%, while the US benchmark WTI gained 1.48% to $104/barrel.

The Iran-backed group’s control of Mokha and nearby Mayun Island has heightened fears for shipping through a route handling about 10% of global oil supplies.

Analysts said the development is especially serious because the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed amid intensified US-Iran attacks on tankers. Saudi Arabia, which relies on Bab Al Mandeb for much of its Asian oil exports, has reportedly rerouted cargoes through the Mediterranean after previous Houthi attacks.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence has activated early warning systems in Abha and Khamis Mushait, both in the southwestern Asir region, authorities said late on Thursday. The alert was issued to warn residents of a potential threat and enable them to take necessary safety precautions.

Residents in affected areas were urged to follow official instructions and remain alert to further warnings from the authorities. Abha and Khamis Mushait are located in southwestern Saudi Arabia, a region that has previously been targeted in cross-border attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Day 195: Iran Guards say target unmanned US sea drone in Hormuz

Day 194: Iran Guards say war can end if US halts threats, meets demands

Day 193: IRGC Navy warns tanker crews near Kuwait, Bahrain

Day 192: Iran says talks with Oman on Hormuz Strait reach final stage

Day 191: Iran to declare 'prohibited zone' near Hormuz Strait

Day 190: Iran military vows 'more severe' reprisals if US attacks continue