The Trump administration reinstated two weeks of strikes on Iranian military targets this week, maintaining high tensions in the Middle East as of Sunday, July 26, 2026. Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched missiles and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 25, in apparent retaliation for Saudi strikes on a Yemeni coastal city.

These attacks are part of a series threatening vital oil infrastructure and commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea. On Thursday, July 23, the Houthis targeted two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, causing crude oil prices to spike to $101 a barrel.

Following the Thursday attacks, President Trump warned he would hold Iran responsible for any future Houthi aggression, describing the Houthis as a proxy for Tehran. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart.”

In diplomatic developments, a deal involving Saudi Arabia faced swift bipartisan backlash. Less than 24 hours after the initial agreement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump added a new condition requiring Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords for the deal to proceed.

On the trade front, new tariffs on imports from 60 countries took effect on Friday, July 24, with the administration citing the need to end forced labor in global supply chains.

Separately, Trump compared a recent appearance by first lady Melania Trump to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who featured in a controversial Bud Light commercial that led to significant conservative boycotts and financial losses for the company.

Sources