Iran-aligned Houthi forces consolidated control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while Saudi Arabia kept its East-West oil pipeline shut after a drone attack launched from Iraq. The pipeline links eastern Saudi oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, offering an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic remains heavily constrained. The U.S. has reportedly limited military-protected sailing periods to two daily windows after increased Iranian attacks on nighttime shipping. Iranian officials are expected to meet Gulf representatives in Oman on Monday to discuss commercial traffic through Hormuz, following talks between Iran and Oman on a temporary route and short-term demining measures. Iraq closed the Shalamcheh border crossing after confirming the drones originated in Iraqi territory; Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation and dismissed a regional military commander. Energy disruptions have also pushed China to raise retail gasoline and diesel prices, while a White House economic official attributed record U.S. diesel prices to disruptions affecting refined-fuel production in the Middle East and Russia. Fighting in Yemen has displaced around 46,000 people since clashes intensified last week, with hundreds of Yemeni refugees arriving in Djibouti. Diplomatic efforts remain uncertain after a senior Iranian lawmaker said talks with Washington would have no value unless the U.S. accepted Tehran’s conditions.