Image for representation purposes only Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants struck Saudi oil facilities at the Red Sea ports of Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday, while Saudi-backed forces launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, opening a second front in a conflict that has already disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks targeted facilities belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco. Video verified by Reuters showed a large plume of smoke rising from the direction of the Aramco refinery in Jizan. For the first time in two weeks, no new U.S. airstrikes on Iran were reported. Washington gave no immediate reason for the pause after carrying out strikes for 13 straight nights in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of an interim agreement to end the fighting. “It seems that our dear Iran had a peaceful night last night,” Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said in a post on X. There were also no reports on Saturday of Iranian attacks on Gulf neighbours, which had taken place daily in response to the U.S. strikes. Axios, citing two unidentified sources familiar with the matter, reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had instructed the military on Friday not to carry out new strikes on Iran. Trump said on Friday that the United States and Iran were holding talks to negotiate an end to the conflict but added that Tehran was not yet ready to reach an agreement. Despite the pause in U.S. strikes, fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia raised the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the Strait of Hormuz to another major shipping route, while also reigniting Yemen’s civil war. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had successfully struck Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu. Two Asia-based trading sources said they had been informed of possible damage to fuel and oil storage facilities in Jizan. In Yanbu, two ballistic missiles tar