Middle East conflict: What UAE residents need to know tonight (October 27, 2026)

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Tuesday, while Iran reported that an oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as Israeli voter turnout reached 44.9 per cent in a nationwide election.

The latest developments come amid continued diplomatic efforts, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reviewing talks between Iran and members of the Mecca Common Defence Agreement, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei met security chief Mohsen Rezaei to discuss regional security and the strategic waterway.

Here are the latest developments in the Middle East conflict.

Israeli voter turnout reached 44.9 per cent by 2pm (12pm GMT), according to Israeli media citing the Central Elections Committee.

Dean Livne, the committee’s acting director general, said turnout had surpassed all previous records kept by the body, marking the highest nationwide participation since 1973.

Turnout at the same point in the day during Israel’s 2022 election stood at 38.9 per cent.

Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi militia, the Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday.

The coalition spokesperson announced the interception in a statement shared on social media.

Iran’s army said an oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through a route Tehran had not authorised.

The vessel had allegedly switched off its tracking systems and entered a prohibited and dangerous area east of the strait, the army said in a statement carried by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired a cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, where ministers reviewed talks held in Tehran a day earlier between Iran and countries party to the Mecca Common Defence Agreement, Saudi state media reported.

The council reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to establishing security and stability, according to a statement released by state media.

The Tehran meeting brought together Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey to discuss regional cooperation and the consequences of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei met security chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday to discuss regional security and the Strait of Hormuz, his office said.

They discussed strengthening relations with neighbouring countries and safeguarding national and regional security through the management of the strategic waterway, according to a statement from Khamenei’s office.

Khamenei also stressed the need to protect Iran’s interests and those of the resistance front while adhering to conditions set by Iranian authorities to end the war and the state of neither war nor peace, the statement said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Moscow on Tuesday on the sidelines of an energy forum, Iranian state media reported.

The two leaders reviewed relations between Tehran and Doha and discussed strengthening political and economic ties, Iranian state television said.

British counter-terrorism police said two men had been charged with national security offences following an incident last month at a British airbase used by the United States.

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said the two British nationals faced separate charges.

One was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be linked to Iran, while the other was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose considered prejudicial to the UK.

A Houthi official said Egypt’s decision to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia amounted to a declaration of war against Yemen.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s political bureau, made the remarks on Tuesday in a post on Telegram.

He was responding to the Egyptian parliament’s authorisation of military support for Saudi Arabia to defend against Houthi attacks.

Egypt’s move comes amid wider regional efforts to support Saudi security as attacks linked to the conflict continue.

Planning to travel from the UAE this winter? More flight options could be on the way as UAE airports ramp up capacity, with departing seats rising 23 per cent to 7.2 million between June and October. Dubai is leading the expansion, with Emirates and flydubai boosting capacity and up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe expected to return by December.

However, flight disruptions continue to affect UAE travellers. Etihad Airways has extended cancellations on services between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia until November 5, while several arrivals at Dubai International Airport have been cancelled or delayed. Air Arabia, Emirates and flydubai have also listed cancellations affecting routes to Saudi Arabia and other destinations.

Passengers should check their flight status directly with the operating airline before leaving for the airport, as schedules can change at short notice.