Middle East conflict: US orders embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as explosions reported near Strait of Hormuz

The Saudi energy ministry said that falling debris from the succesful interception of a drone targeting an oil facility killed two people and injured a further two on Wednesday.

"The attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others," the ministry said in a statement. It did not say who launched the drone aimed at Shaybah oil field near the UAE border.

Washington has ordered all US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, a diplomatic source told AFP on Wednesday, as the kingdom comes under sustained attack by Yemen's Houthis.

"All American staff and their families have been ordered to depart from the US embassy in Saudi Arabia," the source said, adding that the families of embassy staff were also ordered to leave the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain.

Iran's state media reported on Wednesday the sound of explosions in the southern Hormozgan province overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.

"A few minutes ago, the sound of several explosions was heard in the Karpan area of Sirik, in Hormozgan Province," the official IRNA news agency said, adding that "local sources have not yet disclosed the nature of these explosions."

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Panama- and Greece-based law firm Karnakis and Karnakis, shipping agents and vessels over their alleged support for illicit Iranian shipping activity, the department said in a post on X.

The Treasury said the activity indirectly helped Tehran generate revenue to fund its military, weapons and nuclear programmes.

The measures were announced under Operation Economic Outcast, which Washington said involves coordination with partners in Europe and around the world to cut off Iran’s remaining economic lifelines.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi discussed regional developments and continued Houthi attacks on Saudi territory during a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Safadi affirmed Jordan’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting the attacks and its support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to protect its security, stability and sovereignty, as well as the safety of its citizens and residents.

The two ministers also discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, prevent conflicts from spreading and safeguard navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al Mandab Strait.

Following the meeting, the ministers signed an amended protocol establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council, which aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries across various fields.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has met Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss the latest developments in the country, Iranian news agency Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, the discussions covered what it described as US and Israeli military, economic and cognitive warfare against Iran.

Khamenei called for strengthening the country’s capabilities and highlighted parliament’s role in maintaining social cohesion and national unity, the report said.

The supreme leader urged the government and parliament to work together to address economic issues affecting the public and advance matters concerning Iran’s strategic partners, Press TV reported.

Iran’s newly appointed Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi said he had prioritised the demands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force and the Army’s Air Defence during his first hours at work.

In a post on X, Akhlaghi said Iran would respond to repeated threats by strengthening its readiness and defensive capabilities, adding that the country was focused on developing new technologies.

“We may eat dirt, but we will not give up our soil,” he said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Wednesday that Cairo's proposed military support for Riyadh was to "defend Saudi territory, and does not include an attack on Yemen," according to a statement from his office.

At a government event titled Egypt Forum 2026, Sisi said the "objective is to defend the kingdom's lands and borders, as well as those of any other Arab state, should it be requested of Egypt," his spokesman said in a statement.

Sisi on Saturday had asked parliament to authorise support for Saudi Arabia in its war with the Houthis, "if requested".

The parliament, which is stacked with supporters of the president, has since held two rare secret sessions, before postponing deliberations until next week.

Following the morning event where Sisi made the speech, which was reported on a delay, a high-level Egyptian delegation visited Riyadh, the kingdom's state news agency reported.

Egypt's top diplomat Badr Abdelatty and spy chief Hassan Rashad delivered a letter from Sisi to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi press agency said.

The contents of the message were not reported.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Wednesday it intercepted six drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Medina region home to one of Islam's holiest cities.

"Four drones launched towards the kingdom have been intercepted and destroyed," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X, adding in a second post that the interceptions took place in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province, as well as Medina.

Al-Malki, who did not specify who was behind the launches, later said another drone had been intercepted, also in the Eastern province.

On Wednesday evening, the coalition announced it had intercepted a sixth drone launched by the Houthis.

The Houthis earlier denied having targeted the kingdom, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying their forces had not carried out any operations "deep" in Saudi territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the the only way to remove the threat posed by Iran was to topple its government.

"Iran wanted to destroy us; we stopped them. They wanted to produce nuclear bombs; we stopped them... Yet they persist," he said during an election rally in the southern town of Dimona. "Therefore, there is only one way to end this: by toppling this regime."

"This is the directive I have issued to the Israel Defense Forces, to the Mossad, and to all our security branches," he added, without specifying when or how that directive would be executed. 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Wednesday rejected calls for the world to condemn Tehran, saying the country had been attacked twice in less than nine months while negotiations were still underway. In a post on X, Baqaei accused those behind the attacks of killing children in Minab and young women in Lamerd, assassinating Iranian leaders and tightening sanctions on Iranians, and said they had undermined a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17. He argued that the wider world was bearing the cost of the conflict through regional instability and global economic insecurity, and said those who launched what he called a “war of choice” could not cast themselves as victims or shift blame onto Iran.

 The United States is deploying additional naval forces and thousands of military personnel to the Middle East as fresh diplomatic efforts to avert another confrontation with Iran run into a deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious group are being deployed to the region, expanding Washington’s military options as President Donald Trump considers whether to resume strikes against Iran.

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Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, has welcomed the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) positive assessment of the UAE's response to a drone attack that disrupted external power supplies to Unit 3 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on May 17, 2026.

In a post on X, Gargash highlighted the agency's recognition of the country's safety and emergency preparedness measures, describing the UAE's peaceful nuclear energy programme as a model that serves humanity and contributes to regional security and prosperity.

French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Riyadh where he is due to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, in a surprise "solidarity" visit after weeks of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Macron is the first Western leader to visit the kingdom since Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis intensified their attacks this month.

The trip is part of a Gulf tour to secure diesel and petrol supplies as Macron seeks to bring down energy prices following violent protests in France sparked by rising living costs that have created a political crisis for the president.

"The president of the republic is travelling to Saudi Arabia this afternoon to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," a statement from Macron's office said.

The visit aimed to "demonstrate France's solidarity with the kingdom in the face of the attacks carried out by the Houthis against its territory, and to continue efforts undertaken on securing and diversifying hydrocarbon supplies", it added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that any interference in the Yemen war by Egypt or any other country would make the situation "more difficult".

"Egypt has sufficient experience to avoid entangling itself in such a highly complex conflict," said Iran's top diplomat in an interview with Iraqi state broadcaster Al-Iraqiya aired on Tuesday.

"We believe that any foreign presence or interference will only make resolving this issue more difficult," Araghchi noted.

Yemen's Houthis said they attacked a Saudi position in the city of Aden on Wednesday, with smoke seen rising near the airport, in the third attack in a week on the seat of power of Yemen's Riyadh-backed government.

"Our armed forces were able to target the Saudi enemy's operations room in the Badr camp in Aden with a ballistic missile," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.

A police official in Aden earlier told AFP there had been a blast "caused by a Houthi missile", speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Two other security sources in the city told AFP the attack targeted a site near the airport that belonged to forces from the Saudi-led military coalition which has been battling the Houthis.

A ship was struck on Wednesday by an "unknown projectile" off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire, a British maritime security agency said.

The tanker, 11 nautical miles (around 20 kilometres) off the town of Bukha, is "now at anchor", the UKMTO reported.

"All crew are reported as safe. There is no reported environmental impact at this time," it said.

The agency later reported another incident, which occurred on Tuesday off the coast of Iraq. A projectile hit a tanker 30 nautical miles from the town of Al Faw, causing no casualties or damage, the UKMTO said.

The Strait of Hormuz carried 20 percent of the world's oil and gas prior to the Middle East war, which erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has restarted half of the production cells at its Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi, marking a major milestone in restoring operations following an emergency shutdown in March.

The company said on Wednesday that 631 of the smelter's 1,262 reduction cells are now operational, with work progressing across all three production lines. EGA expects the facility to return to full production during the first quarter of 2027.

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The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it had intercepted five drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Medina region home to one of Islam's holiest cities.

"Four drones launched toward the Kingdom have been intercepted and destroyed," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X, adding in a second post that the interceptions took place in Saudi Arabia's Eastern region as well as Medina.

Al-Malki, who did not specify who was behind the launches, later said another drone had been intercepted, also in the Eastern region.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday amid renewed concerns over Middle East supply disruptions. Brent crude gained 0.78 per cent to $109.64 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate climbed to $98.58 in early trading. Threats to Saudi oil facilities and shipping risks near the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea continued to unsettle markets, Reuters reported.

Iran and the US remain in indirect talks through Pakistan and Qatar, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, while warning that the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed unless Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions.

Araghchi told Iraq’s Al Ekhbariya television that Iran had presented a seven-day initiative under which the strategic waterway would fully reopen on the sixth day. He said Washington had agreed to the conditions but wanted additional provisions.

“The negotiating table is still there,” Araghchi said. “If they adhere to these conditions, they should know that the strait will be fully reopened, and after that we will hold further rounds of negotiations until a final agreement is reached.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signaled that Iran would endure hardship rather than surrender territory, invoking a historic declaration associated with constitutional revolutionary Sattar Khan in a post on X on Tuesday.

Marking Sattar Khan’s birthday, Pezeshkian praised the early 20th-century leader’s struggle for freedom, the rule of law and national dignity. He ended the post: “We will eat dirt, but we will not give up our land.” The message came as Iran faces a prolonged conflict with the United States and Israel, economic pressure and repeated strikes. Pezeshkian has repeatedly said pressure and force cannot make Iranians surrender to “unlawful demands,” while emphasising dialogue, international law and respect for national rights.

In a separate post, he said Iran opposes war but will continue resisting until “aggressors” regret their actions.

Sattar Khan was a leading figure in Iran’s Constitutional Revolution, a movement that sought limits on absolute monarchy and the establishment of constitutional rule.

An unnamed Iranian security source claimed Tuesday (Oct. 20) that Ukraine has deployed drone units and thousands of "micro-drones" in countries near Iran, including Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, according to the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

The source said Kyiv had established an operational micro-drone network across the region and accused Tehran’s adversaries of using it as part of “hostile actions by Europe and Nato” against Iran.

Tasnim said Iran was monitoring the alleged deployments and weighing an “appropriate response.” The source did not name the other host countries, saying their identities would be revealed “at the appropriate time.”

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah reaffirmed the country’s full support for Saudi Arabia and its measures to protect its sovereignty, security and stability, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Tuesday, October 20.

The statement followed a phone call between Sheikh Jarrah and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, during which they discussed regional security developments and ways to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries, according to KUNA.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir that US actions were driving regional tensions, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pezeshkian said Washington must lift its pressure, threats and sanctions against Tehran before negotiations can begin.

The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier and about 10,000 military personnel to the Middle East as President Donald Trump reportedly weighs renewed strikes on Iran, Fox News reported.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are expected to arrive by the end of November, according to two US officials. The Roosevelt will join the USS George H.W. Bush, deployed in April, and the USS George Washington, which arrived in August to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The Roosevelt departed San Diego on Sunday, September 27, while the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit sailed the following day with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. The carrier group carries about 6,000 sailors, while the Marine unit and amphibious group comprise roughly 4,200 personnel.

Iran has rejected U.S.-backed Pakistani proposals for negotiations, with SNSC Secretary Mohsen Rezaei ruling out talks until Washington fulfills Tehran’s seven conditions, per the Tehran Times.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf delivered the same blunt message to Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir during his mediation visit to Tehran: “We have no new message.”

Reports of a US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough are completely false and designed to manipulate the oil market — and that actually worked.

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday told the visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir that Tehran would not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV.

"Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran; such materials constitute a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people, intended for use within the country," said Rezaei, Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

"There will be no negotiations until America takes steps to build trust - a process that must begin with the fulfilment of Iran's conditions," he added.

Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made similar remarks to Munir, who is in Tehran as part of a renewed push to mediate a peace deal between the Islamic republic and the United States.

"We have nothing new to say; America cannot gain Iran's trust unless it fulfils the seven conditions," said Ghalibaf, noting that "threats and military manoeuvres cannot influence Iran's strategic decisions".

Iran has demanded, among other things, a ceasefire across the Middle East, the unfreezing of its assets abroad and the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector.

British police said Tuesday they have rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service over the suspected plot at a U.S.-run air base in England last month.

Counter Terrorism Policing said the men, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual U.K.-Iranian national, were arrested under the National Security Act.

The men were earlier arrested but had been bailed pending more investigation.

Police are investigating a suspected terror plot on Sept. 27 against the U.S.-run base at RAF Fairford in western England, which has been used to bomb Iran during this year's war.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement Tuesday, the IRGC Navy said the tanker had switched off its radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings as it attempted to leave through what Tehran considers an unauthorized southern route.

The Guards warned that shipowners and crews operating in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman would be held responsible for using unauthorized routes and that any activity disregarding security restrictions in the strait would face a “firm response.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Doha for a state visit, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

He and his delegation were received at Hamad International Airport by Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs.

Qatar’s ambassador to France, Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, and France’s ambassador in Doha, Arnaud Pescheux, were also at the reception.

The Saudi-led coalition has intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Riyadh region, it said, in the latest reported attack on the Saudi capital area.

Day 234: Iran warns Nato, Europe over Ukrainian drone buildup

Day 233: Iran officials ramp up calls for nuclear weapons

Day 232: 7-day Hormuz reopening plan still on the table: Iran

Day 231: Saudi Arabia intercepts four drones in Riyadh and east

Day 230: Iran faces cash shortages, military strain: CENTCOM

Day 230: Saudi-led coalition shows cruise missile interception