Saudi Arabia issued repeated danger alerts for Riyadh and al-Kharj overnight as fighting with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensified, before Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed. The escalation has raised fresh concerns about Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, two major Middle East shipping routes already affected by the Iran war. The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out 26 strikes in areas under their control over the previous 24 hours and about 300 during the past week. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said its forces killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded more than 60 in clashes in Taiz province. Commercial vessels continue to use Bab el-Mandeb, but Kpler data cited by CBS showed daily traffic falling to around 26 to 35 vessels this week from an average of 35 to 40 over the previous eight weeks. Only five laden vessels carrying Saudi products exited the Red Sea through the strait in the past seven days. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz also remains disrupted after two vessels were attacked on Friday, according to a U.K. naval agency. Iran claimed responsibility for striking one ship it said was attempting an "illegal crossing." U.S. Central Command said its blockade had redirected 105 commercial vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports, while more than 30 million barrels of Iranian or likely Iranian crude remained inside the Persian Gulf. Brent crude traded around $104 a barrel on Friday, up from $88 three weeks earlier. France plans to convene a G7 energy meeting that could discuss releasing strategic reserves. President Donald Trump signed legislation extending existing U.S. sanctions authorities against Iran through 2031. The conflict’s financial cost has also risen, with U.S. Central Command estimating American military spending at $43.6 billion through Sept. 3, including $28.1 billion for munitions. Pentagon figures cited by the Chicago Tribune showed 18 U.S. troops killed and more than 830 wounded.