United States President Donald Trump said that Washington is "hopefully toward the end" of its fighting with Iran and that he has spoken "directly" with Iranian officials, in remarks made as US lawmakers again voted to end the seven-month-old conflict.

For the third time, the US House of Representatives voted to end the conflict with Iran, approving a war powers resolution that would stop Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval, The Associated Press noted in a report.

The vote late on Tuesday, with a 220-204 tally, mirrored earlier efforts this summer, with some Republicans joining all Democrats in voting to end the conflict. But none of the resolutions have reached Trump's desk, where he was expected to veto the measure.

READ MORE: Report: Trump says he is approaching major crossroads in Iran war

Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the US must take practical steps to earn Tehran's confidence, saying "we do not trust the US at all", according to Iranian Press TV.

US-based media outlet Axios, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter, reported late on Wednesday that Trump is expected to hold a meeting with Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week to discuss the next phase in the conflict with Iran.

The meeting is anticipated to focus on a US proposal for a postwar strategy as Trump and his senior team work on a day-after plan expected to be finalized after the November US midterm elections.

In a post on X on Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for prioritizing de-escalation.

"At this critical moment in the Middle East, de-escalation must be a priority. Any actions that harm civilians must stop. Humanitarian operations must proceed safely &without obstruction. Navigational rights & freedoms must be fully restored & respected. The only path forward is de-escalation, diplomacy& dialogue," wrote Guterres.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during which they were said to have discussed regional developments, Iran's Mehr News reported on Thursday. No further details were immediately released.

Araghchi visited Beijing this week for diplomatic consultations. Pakistan has served as a key mediator between Iran and the United States alongside Qatar.

In other developments, Saudi-led coalition air attacks have hit the Yemeni city of Abs, in Hajjah Province, Al Jazeera reported.

Two air attacks struck the area, killing one person and wounding another, while also destroying four cars and damaging a house, according to the report.

Intensified fighting

Fighting intensified between Yemen's government forces and the Houthis in the terrain overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, as both parties rushed reinforcements to the front, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing a Yemeni military official.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said fierce clashes were raging in the Kahbub mountain after Houthi forces launched a fresh attempt to break through government defensive positions.

Government forces repelled the advance and launched a counterattack, recapturing several heights overlooking approaches to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after hours of fighting that remained ongoing, with several fighters killed on both sides, the official told Xinhua.

Late on Wednesday, the foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar condemned the Houthi group's attempt to target Mecca in Saudi Arabia using a drone.

ALSO READ: Top security official: Iran in no way trusts US

The Houthis claimed they shot down an F-15 Saudi fighter jet but denied targeting the holy site.

On Wednesday, the US reiterated its support for Yemen's internationally recognized government as fighting intensified between the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi forces.

Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and had asked regional and Western allies for help, the AP reported, citing two unidentified regional officials.

The news agency cited the sources as saying that the Saudis asked France, Pakistan, Egypt and the United Kingdom to deploy air-defense support to help defend against attacks by the Houthis.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com