The United States has paused military strikes on Iran as diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict gain momentum, although tensions remain high across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is continuing talks with Tehran and expressed optimism that Iranian officials are becoming “more serious” about negotiations after weeks of escalating hostilities.

The pause in military action follows nearly two weeks of intensified fighting that raised fears of a broader regional war. According to reports, the White House opted to prioritize diplomacy while maintaining military pressure through a continued U.S. naval presence in the region.

Despite the diplomatic push, violence has spread beyond the Gulf.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched attacks on Saudi oil facilities along the Red Sea coast, threatening key energy infrastructure and increasing concerns over the security of international shipping routes. The renewed attacks have also raised fears of further disruption to global oil supplies.

Meanwhile, Iran has accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack on one of its commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea and has summoned Ukrainian diplomats to protest the incident, adding another layer of tension to the already volatile regional situation.

Diplomatic efforts are continuing through regional mediators as both Washington and Tehran seek to avoid a return to full-scale conflict. However, analysts warn that the situation remains fragile, with any new military incident capable of derailing negotiations.

The conflict has already affected global energy markets, with continued uncertainty surrounding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most important oil transit routes—keeping governments and investors on alert.

India’s education minister resigned on Saturday, handing a major victory to youth protesters who had demanded he quit to take responsibility ‌for examination paper leaks, and who erupted in celebration on news of his departure.

“We have done it,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party that led the protests, to loud cheers at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi, Reuters reported.

“Considering the situation that has arisen ​at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation … I have ⁠sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister,” Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote in his post.

“I deeply respect the aspirations, feelings, and legitimate expectations ​of the country’s youth.”

The minister announced his resignation on X just as police fired tear gas to scatter young protesters in New Delhi, hours before their ​leaders were set to hold another round of talks with ministers.

Pradhan, 57, is a senior leader of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and has been regarded as a rising figure, and even mentioned in the past as a potential BJP leader.

A minister since Modi first took office in 2014, he has held the petroleum and natural gas, steel, ​skill development and education portfolios, becoming education minister in 2021. His father was a veteran BJP leader and served as a junior federal minister between ​1998 and 2004.

Pradhan’s resignation is “a victory of peace, patience & perseverance,” activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike for 26 days to support the youngster’s movement, wrote ‌on X.

CELEBRATIONS ⁠AT PROTEST SITE

Youngsters at the Jantar Mantar site shouted “Jai Hind”, a patriotic slogan meaning “Victory to India”, as the national anthem played on loud speakers and sweets were distributed among the crowd. At least 1,000 police officials stood nearby guarding the area, according to Reuters journalists at the site.

The leak of the high-profile medical college entrance test paper in May, which led to the cancellation of results and the government ordering a retest, affected 2 million young ​people.

Supporters of India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement had been ​protesting since June, but anger boiled ⁠over since police on Monday injured dozens of students, launching baton charges and firing tear gas to deter crowds of protesters marching on parliament.

The protests also reflect anger over job scarcity, corruption and government accountability.

“Young generation is here. This is ​win for the constitution,” protester Tluanga Ralte said, walking with a copy of the Indian constitution at the ​protest site after the ⁠minister’s resignation. “We are not a lazy generation.”

Federal authorities even on Saturday restricted access to the internet and to 18 metro stations to try to limit the protest in the capital, the latest day of such restrictions.

Pradhan is only the second minister to resign following a scandal since Modi came to power in 2014. ⁠M.J. Akbar ​resigned as junior foreign minister in October 2018 to fight allegations of sexual harassment made ​by more than a dozen women during India’s #MeToo movement.

Students, youth activists and opposition supporters had in recent days staged protests in the states of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, ​holding placards demanding Pradhan’s resignation and boycotting classes in some places.

Yemen’s Houthi militia attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation, the group said on Thursday, and a Saudi news agency later confirmed one of the two vessels was ablaze after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea.

The Saudi Arabian state news agency SPA, ​citing an official source at the General Transport Authority, said an attack caused a fire on the bow ​of the tanker Encelia but all crew members were safe. SPA did not say who ⁠had targeted the vessel.Authorities have secured the vessel and its crew and taken measures to protect the marine environment, describing ​the attack as a violation of international law, SPA reported, citing the source, Reuters reported.

In their statement, the Houthis said they attacked ​two tankers, the Encelia and Layla, saying the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed by the Iran-aligned group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. The Houthis said they targeted the tankers with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.

A maritime security ​source said earlier on Thursday that the Encelia had transmitted a distress call via VHF radio, reporting it had ​been struck by a missile while operating at the outer port limits of Saudi Arabia’s Jizan, in the Red Sea, and was on ‌fire.

The ⁠British maritime risk-management group Vanguard also said the Saudi-flagged tanker Encelia was struck by an unknown projectile on its starboard side about 70 nautical miles (130 km) southwest of Saudi Arabia’s Al Shuqaiq at 2000 GMT.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) also said it had received a report of an incident in the same area, saying the master of a ​tanker reported being struck by an ​unknown projectile that caused ⁠a fire onboard, which the crew were fighting. UKMTO said no casualties or environmental impact had been reported.

It was not immediately clear whether the UKMTO report referred to the Encelia, ​though the location and details matched the Vanguard report.

Vanguard said the Houthis had reportedly ​claimed the attack, ⁠as well as saying they had hit a second vessel, the Layla, which it said remained unconfirmed.

In the same statement announcing their attack on the two tankers, the Houthis also said they had forced around 10 ships to retreat and return. ⁠Reuters could ​not immediately verify this account.

Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea ​on Wednesday, with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination after the Houthis warned ships to avoid Saudi ports, ship-tracking data showed.