US threatens 'major military punishment' for Houthi attacks

Key Points:

• US President Donald Trump threatened major military punishment against Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels following attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, holding Iran responsible as the Houthis are considered its proxies.
• The United States has conducted 13 consecutive nights of strikes targeting Iranian military sites to diminish threats to commercial shipping from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Middle East situation is "out of control," with escalating conflicts feeding into a widening regional confrontation and obscuring political objectives.
• The EU and France condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers, calling them serious escalations that endanger international shipping and regional stability.
• The US-Saudi nuclear deal, allowing Saudi Arabia to develop civilian nuclear technology, is reportedly contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, a prospect welcomed by Israel.