The United States warned that fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could "escalate rapidly" after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.

US President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David, a secluded presidential complex in rural Maryland, to return unexpectedly to the White House on Saturday.

The White House gave no explanation for the early return, which comes as a new threshold was crossed in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen and are fighting government forces backed by a coalition led by Riyadh.

In recent weeks, the Houthis' lightning offensive seizing swathes of Yemeni territory has left hundreds dead and, according to the UN refugee agency, displaced more than 110,000 people.

Meanwhile, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, on Sunday warned that if the United States and certain countries in the Middle East make any mistake, they will be targeted by "painful" strikes.

The headquarters said in a statement carried by Iranian media that it has intelligence indicating that Washington decided at a recent meeting in Europe to resume actions against Tehran with the backing of certain regional countries.

It warned that if the United States makes any mistake against Iran, all its bases and interests in the region would be targeted by "continuous, effective and painful strikes without any limitation or reservation".

The headquarters also warned that if regional states continue what it called their double-standard policy toward Iran and align themselves with the US "aggression," they could "no longer expect restraint or forbearance from Iran's powerful armed forces". (AFP/Xinhua)


Edited by Aaron Tam