Middle East war: US prepares fresh strikes on Iran; Houthi missile targets Riyadh; Tankers hit mines near Hormuz

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Iran's judiciary said on Saturday that its chief held a rare meeting with the country's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since being appointed.

Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and the supreme leader discussed issues including "securing public rights, and effectively combating corruption and its bottlenecks", the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.

They held talks on "pursuing the recovery of rights and compensation for material and moral damages arising from the crimes of American-Zionist criminals", it said.

The younger Khamenei has only communicated through written messages since his appointment, some of them published in handwriting attributed to him.

No video message from him has been released, and the time and location of his meeting with Ejei were not disclosed, as has been the case with previously reported meetings.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday denied targeting Islam's holiest cities Mecca and Medina after Saudi authorities reported responding to falling shrapnel from interceptions in those areas.

"What the Saudi enemy is promoting about our forces targeting towards the holy areas of Mecca and Medina is a great and huge lie," said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.

Air India and Air India Express have announced the suspension of their flight operations to key destinations in Saudi Arabia due to the evolving security situation in the region, offering affected passengers complimentary rebooking options or full refunds.

According to the official advisory, flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam will remain suspended through November 7, while services connecting to Jeddah will be suspended through October 31.

"In view of the prevailing situation in the region, Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam will remain suspended until 7 November 2026, while services to and from Jeddah will remain suspended until 31 October 2026," the airlines stated in a joint advisory shared on X.

"Guests holding confirmed bookings issued on or before October 24, 2026 may avail flexible rebooking options or opt for a full refund upon cancellation of their bookings," it added.

Debris from two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi militia towards Saudi Arabia's Mecca and Medina regions fell at several locations in the west of the Kingdom on Saturday, October 24, the Saudi Civil Defence said.

A Civil Defence spokesperson said emergency teams in both regions responded to reports of falling debris after the missiles were intercepted.

According to the statement, debris from the intercepted missiles fell in Wadi Al Mughammas in Mecca.

The US Embassy in Baghdad has warned that its ability to provide emergency services to American citizens in Iraq is limited due to security risks. The highest-level travel advisory remains in place amid concerns over possible escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday said they targeted a range of Saudi assets in the past 24 hours, listing three airports including capital Riyadh's, two oil facilities, a pipeline and an air base.

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted "King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of the Saudi enemy, in two phases", the airports in Dammam in the east and Najran in the south. The group also targeted the southern Khamis Mushait air base as well as "crude oil pumping stations and the crude oil pipeline from east to west".

Iran remains open to talks with the US under a Pakistan-brokered interim deal reached in June to end the conflict, Tehran's ambassador to Islamabad said Saturday, accusing Washington of undermining diplomacy and prolonging the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said that Iran recently conveyed through Pakistan that it was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifted its naval blockade, but accused US President Donald Trump of rejecting the proposal by insisting the blockade of Iranian ports would continue.

Pakistan and Qatar helped broker the June agreement, which sought to restore shipping through the strait, lift the US naval blockade and begin negotiations toward a broader deal addressing Iran's nuclear program.

Moghadam, speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, said that Iranian officials had conveyed their willingness to reopen the strait during visits to Tehran by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, provided Washington ended its blockade.

Moghadam also said that Tehran would study the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey before deciding whether to support it, describing it as a potential instrument for unity. "We will study the Mecca Agreement, and if it is good, we will support it," he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that many Iranians were struggling to put food on the table, as the economic pressure from the Middle East war with the United States mounts.

Washington has in recent weeks dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure, while Iran's leaders have said peace negotiations will only succeed without pressure and threats from Washington as the conflict remains locked in a stalemate.

"There are many people in this society who are struggling to put food on the table because of the war we have found ourselves in, because of the wartime conditions we are living under," Pezeshkian said in a speech shared on his website.

Pezeshkian called for an end to what he described as a "state of neither war nor peace", saying Tehran "must also get out of this situation", without specifying how.

His remarks came as fears of renewed fighting grew.

Explosions were heard on Saturday in Yemen's Aden, the interim seat of the country's internationally recognised government, police sources and an AFP journalist said.

A police official in Aden told AFP he heard three explosions in the city, while an AFP correspondent also reported blasts.

Another police source told AFP the Houthis targeted a Saudi-led coalition position near the Aden airport that was targeted last week and the coast guard.

Neither side has publicly commented on the alleged attacks.

But the Houthis fighting the Saudi-backed government have targeted the southern city several times in recent weeks, including the presidential palace.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday said a Saudi strike on Hodeida killed five members of the same families, as both sides press attacks.

"Five people, the head of the family, two of his children and his two wives, have been martyred and his daughter wounded as a result of a Saudi enemy air strike on the home of citizen Abdulwahed al-Wasabi in the Al-Tuhayta district" of Hodeida, the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV channel reported.

Houthi media reported that Saudi strikes killed 11 people in Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday, shortly after the Saudi-led coalition fighting them said it had intercepted two missiles targeting Saudi cities.

The Houthis' Al-Masirah outlet reported a series of Saudi airstrikes targeting Sanaa, including one on a house that killed at least four people and wounded several others.

A separate strike at a residence building for cement factory workers in the Sanaa governorate killed six women and one child and wounded three others, the broadcaster said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States for the failure of talks on an interim agreement but called for renewed efforts to reach a deal, in remarks broadcast on state television on Saturday.

“We were having negotiations, and the cowards (Americans) messed everything up. I still think we should go and conclude it,” Pezeshkian said.

As crude oil prices surge to $117 per barrel and military tensions escalate across Middle East, Foreign Affairs Expert Waiel Awwad has warned that Washington’s ultimate objective regarding Iran extends far beyond nuclear negotiations, aiming instead at complete regime change and regional dominance.

Speaking with ANI, Awwad asserted that conflicting rhetoric from the White House, ranging from threats to annihilate Iran to proposals for dialogue, reflects a deeper strategic shift aimed at reshaping the Middle East in tandem with Israel.

"The United States objective is no more the oil, is no more the nuclear issues... It's a regime change, is the total destruction of Iran, disintegration of Iran, which makes Israel as a dominant force in the region," Awwad told ANI. Read more...

Saudi forces launched deadly airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa city and its surrounding governorate on Saturday, media associated with the Iran-backed group said, while also reporting around 20 strikes on Mocha.

The Houthis' Al-Masirah reported a series of "Saudi enemy airstrikes" targeting Sanaa, including one on a house that killed at least three people and wounded several others.

A separate strike at a cement factory in the Sanaa governorate resulted in "a number of martyrs and wounded", the broadcaster said.

The reports came after the Saudi coalition fighting in Yemen announced it had intercepted two missiles fired by the Houthis towards Taif and Yanbu, in the kingdom's west.

A Saudi airstrike on Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa killed three people on Saturday and wounded several others, Houthi media said, adding that the toll remained preliminary.

The Iran-backed group's Al-Masirah station said "the Saudi enemy targeted a house in Asr," in the west of the capital. It came after Saudi forces said they had intercepted two missiles fired at western Saudi Arabia.

The US is preparing for a possible major bombing campaign against Iran, with the USS George Washington being rearmed in the Arabian Sea. Sailors are loading large quantities of munitions, including standoff land-attack missiles and bunker-buster bombs, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

During a rare visit aboard the aircraft carrier, WSJ reporter Shelby Holliday witnessed large stacks of ammunition boxes as US forces loaded weapons and prepared aircraft for possible renewed military action. US officials confirmed that the military was positioning itself for a fresh wave of strikes, the report said.

According to the newspaper, the weapons being loaded are suited to striking Iran's underground nuclear facilities and heavily fortified military infrastructure.

The Coalition said on Saturday it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, Iranian media reported.

Pezeshkian is due to visit Russia for a meeting of gas-exporting countries.

Russia and Iran, two of the most sanctioned nations on earth, have grown closer together in the years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"The Iranian president will visit Moscow to attend the summit of gas-exporting countries that will take place on Tuesday October 27," the Tasnim news agency reported, citing Tehran's ambassador to the country, Kazem Jalali.

The two leaders will discuss economic cooperation as well as "questions of geopolitics", Jalali was quoted as saying.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency broadcast warnings of "potential danger" for four of its western provinces, including that of Mecca, home to Islam's holiest city, on Friday, without saying why.

The alerts, which also covered the major Red Sea city of Jeddah, nearby Taif and the coastal oil hub of Yanbu, were all rescinded minutes later.

Residents were instructed to "proceed to the nearest safe place" by the agency. The agency also repeated a legal warning against sharing images or information related to "countering missiles and drones".

A Saudi father has paid tribute to his son, who died after helping fight a fire at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam following an attack on the facility. He hailed his son as a martyr who gave his life trying to protect passengers.

Sultan bin Ali Al Mastour Al Qahtani was on duty at the airport on Wednesday, October 21, when a projectile struck the facility, sparking a fire near an aircraft carrying passengers, according to his father, Ali Al Qahtani.

Read more...

Iran said on Saturday that US military ships would never be allowed to enter the Gulf "under any circumstances" and President Donald Trump will "take that dream to his grave".

The remarks came amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned that Washington could "absolutely" strike Iran as soon as this weekened. 

"We will not allow US military ships in the Arabian Gulf under any circumstances and at any time," said Iran's armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, according to Iranian state television. 

"The US president must dream of seeing the armed forces enter the Arabian Gulf. He will take that dream to his grave." 

Iran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond, US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned on Friday.

The warning comes after Washington ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia this week, following increasing attacks from Yemen's Houthis.

"We have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel," Clayton said in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a US official.

"The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," said the memo, which was first reported by Axios.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh by the Iran-backed group.

"Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki posted on X. 

Two explosions rang out in Riyadh early Saturday, an AFP journalist in the Saudi capital said, as Yemen's Houthis keep up strikes on the kingdom.

The Saudi civil defence said an early warning system was activated to alert residents to a potential threat. 

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday it had downed a drone, as the Iran-backed group carries out daily attacks on the kingdom.

"A drone was intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Province," said Turki Al-Malki in a post on X, the spokesman for the coalition.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy reported that two supertankers attempting to pass through an unauthorised southern route in the Strait of Hormuz struck naval mines earlier on Friday, triggering explosions and severe fires that disabled their engine rooms and left both vessels stranded.

The two tankers were carrying a combined total of more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil, according to the IRGC Navy.

The statement added that the vessels had been abandoned off the southern coast of the Strait of Hormuz following the explosions, with their crews leaving the ships.

Israel may need to develop an alternative digital economy to circumvent rising international sanctions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, as he acknowledged rising pressure from key ally the United States.

"You have to understand that there could be sanctions, including banking sanctions," Netanyahu said on a talk show of Israel's Channel 10 released ahead of elections.

"You need to prepare an alternative economy that can operate around them," he said.

Asked if he was speaking about blockchain, a decentralised digital system that does not rely on central government authorities, Netanyahu said, "Absolutely. I have asked to prepare this plan."

Netanyahu did not specify from which country he expected sanctions.

Netanyahu, who has previously called for Israel to become self-sufficient militarily, said that multibillion-dollar weapons packages from Washington "won't keep coming".

"It's over. It's just a question of when," he said, acknowledging he was "worried" about the shift in the United States.

Yair Lapid, a centrist former prime minister who is part of the opposition bloc challenging Netanyahu, seized on the remarks.

"Netanyahu now admits, in his own words: if his government is reelected, American security aid will come to an end and Israel will face sanctions that would devastate our economy, lead to runaway price hikes, and cause irreparable damage," Lapid said.

Iran has drawn up plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the US and Israel launch fresh attacks, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 23.

One official said Tehran could also seek to delay repairs to prolong disruptions to communications and internet connections. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards deputy head of political affairs, Yadollah Javani, said the country could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure came under attack.

Analysts have said the global impact of any disruption could be limited, although damage to the cables could affect connectivity across the Gulf.

If cables in the Strait of Hormuz are cut:

• Gulf countries could face widespread internet outages and severe connectivity problems.

• Banks, payment systems, cloud platforms and businesses could suffer major disruptions.

• Government, military and emergency communications could also be affected.

• Multiple cable cuts could isolate parts of the Gulf from global internet networks and cause a broader regional communications crisis.

Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan issued a directive on Friday declaring three days of national mourning across the kingdom, starting October 23, 2026, in honour of the victims of the terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud village, Karak Governorate. Flags will be flown at half-mast on the buildings of ministries, government departments, public institutions and authorities throughout the mourning period. The directive described the attack as a brutal and cowardly act of terrorism and stated that the national mourning reflected the grief and solidarity of Jordanians following the deaths of innocent victims.

The United States appears to be preparing for renewed large-scale strikes against Iran, with military deployments and heightened regional alerts raising concerns about further escalation, according to AFP.

Experts point to additional US military assets moving to the Middle East, a planned deployment of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and another Marine Expeditionary Unit, alongside heightened Israeli military readiness.

Some analysts believe strikes could follow the November 3 US midterm elections, although the timing remains uncertain. US envoy Tom Barrack said an attack could also take place over the weekend.

The conflict has largely centred on attacks involving commercial shipping, a US blockade of Iranian ports and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. Major attacks on land-based targets have been limited since early September.

However, analysts warn that renewed military action may not resolve the conflict. They say previous strikes have already heavily damaged Iran’s conventional military sites, while further attacks could increasingly affect civilian infrastructure.

Experts also question the feasibility of a ground operation, citing damage to US bases in the region and the difficulty of deploying the forces required.

Trump has said the conflict could be ended quickly, but the path towards either a diplomatic settlement or further military escalation remains unclear

India is continuing to facilitate the transport of life-saving medicines to Iran despite flight disruptions caused by the regional conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Indian authorities remain in contact with Iranian counterparts to ensure the delivery of essential medicines as a humanitarian gesture.

India has also raised concerns over the safety of its seafarers and tankers amid attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval discussed the issue with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, during a telephone conversation on October 12.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe earlier this week.

The United States could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a US envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel.

"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and point man on Syria who does not have a direct role on Iran, said in an interview with podcast host Mario Nawfal.

President Donald Trump "is very clear. He's open and available and accessible to a deal and we've been at the table for months and months and months," Barrack said in the interview, a snippet of which was aired on Israeli army radio.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections Tuesday, in recent days has repeatedly vowed to topple the clerical state in Iran, following two major bombing campaigns against Iran since last year.

Trump has also signalled an openness to resuming strikes on Iran after a long deadlock in diplomacy although he earlier said it would not happen before US congressional elections on November 3.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he had stressed the need to reduce tensions, promote US-Iran dialogue, protect Saudi Arabia’s security, safeguard freedom of navigation and achieve a just peace in Palestine during talks with counterparts in Istanbul.

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, known as the R4, are meeting counterparts from the UK, France and Germany, the E3, to discuss Iran and Yemen amid concerns over renewed military escalation.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is hosting the meeting as Turkey  seeks to strengthen its regional role, including through the Mecca Defence Alliance, a defence pact launched with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in August.

Türkiye has said the pact is not directed against any specific country and remains open to others, including Egypt.

Cairo has yet to decide whether to join the alliance. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said Egypt would defend Saudi territory but would not participate in any attack on Yemen.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's office said the talks would focus primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia.

Miliband would advocate a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz crisis that restores full freedom of navigation, his office said.

He would also stress how what it described as Iranian tactics were being replicated across the region, with attacks on Saudi Arabia further destabilising the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and global chokepoints, including Bab Al Mandeb and the Suez Canal.

Akasa Air has extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah until November 10 and Riyadh until November 30, 2026, citing the prevailing security situation in Saudi Arabia.

The airline said it was closely monitoring developments and assessing the situation in real time.

Affected passengers can claim a full refund, credited to their original payment method within seven days, or reschedule their travel at no additional cost. Passengers who booked through travel partners should contact them directly for assistance.

Akasa Air said passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority.

Around 3,000 stranded Indian Umrah pilgrims have returned from Saudi Arabia over the past week, while more than 10,000 other pilgrims have also travelled home on available flights, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

The Indian Embassy and Consulate in Saudi Arabia are working with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the early return of remaining stranded pilgrims.

Indian officials are assisting stranded pilgrims with community volunteers and operating round-the-clock control rooms in Riyadh and Jeddah. Regular advisories are also being issued to keep Indian nationals informed of developments.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said arrangements were being discussed to help other stranded Umrah pilgrims return to India as soon as possible.

A tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz near Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The incident occurred at 5.15pm UTC on October 22, about seven nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, according to a UKMTO advisory issued after a delayed report from the vessel’s company security officer.

The tanker was able to continue its voyage to its next port of call. The advisory did not provide details of the vessel or report any casualties.

UKMTO advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity as authorities investigate the incident.

Day 237: Iran threatens Gulf internet links if US, Israel attack

Day 236: Iran's Guards threaten to hit US bases

Day 235: 1 killed, 8 hurt in attack on Saudi airport: Report

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

Day 233: Iran officials ramp up calls for nuclear weapons