The US did not report the launch of any strikes on Iran on Saturday, after carrying out attacks for 13 consecutive nights.
But the US military did fire at a tanker trying to breach the blockade of Iranian ports, an American official told Reuters on Friday. The attack disabled the vessel, the official added.
Emergency alerts were issued in two cities in Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning, with residents of Yanbu and Jazan, both overlooking the Red Sea, told to seek shelter. The Iran-backed Houthis have said they "blockaded" the Red Sea.
While the Iran-backed group did not immediately claim any attacks on Saudi Arabia, they did issue a statement promising "escalation for escalation" in reference to the kingdom's strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Friday.
A Saudi vessel, NCC Masa, sustained minor damage to the hull as it was attacked while sailing in the Red Sea on Friday, a source at the General Transport Authority was quoted as saying by Saudi state news agency SPA. NCC Masa continued to its destination after checks confirmed the ship and its crew were safe, the agency added.
Despite the increase in attacks between the US and Iran, President Donald Trump said the war was going "extremely well". Speaking at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Friday, he also said Tehran "would love to" make a deal, but is not yet ready.
“I don’t think it’s time yet, but I’m willing to listen,” he said. The US military is ready to launch further strikes, he added.
Mr Trump said he had not yet made a decision about whether to launch a new wave of attacks. “Look, we’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason,” he said. “We’re locked and loaded and ready to go. But we’re talking to them ... we’ll see what comes of it.”
Mr Trump made the comments after the US and Iran had exchanged strikes for nearly two weeks, thwarting an interim agreement to end the hostilities. In response to the US strikes, Iran claimed it was attacking American personnel and military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
