A rare public disagreement emerged between Iran and its ally, Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Iran recently stated that the Houthis agreed to a temporary truce to facilitate rescue efforts in the Red Sea, with Iran’s UN mission confirming the agreement on humanitarian and environmental grounds. However, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam denied any formal truce agreement. The dispute follows the August 23 attack on the Sounion, a Greek-flagged tanker, off Yemen’s Hodeidah, which resulted in a fire and subsequent oil leak.