Middle East War: Saudi airport attack kills one as US orders embassy departures

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Iran remains open to diplomacy if the U.S. demonstrates a willingness to build trust and reach a resolution.

But if the U.S. "chooses war over diplomacy, it'll certainly result in an even greater strategic failure," he added.

That echoed remarks he wrote in the Financial Times but gave no details of talks with Washington through mediators on Iran's recent seven-day proposal to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that mediation efforts are welcomed, though the final decision on terms rests with Trump.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said a ballistic missile struck a military camp adjacent to Yemen's Aden airport in Khor Maksar district.

The Houthis claim the military camp houses a command center for the Saudi-led forces fighting the rebels.

A transportation ministry official in Aden said airport operations were temporarily suspended and the tarmac wasn't damaged. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

This is the second time the Houthis claim to have targeted the military camp inside the airport complex in five days and the third this month.

A limited number of Saudi airlines took off and landed at the country's main airport, two days after authorities notified airlines that they could resume operations with prior permission.

Saudia and FlyNas were operating flights Wednesday, according to flight-tracking data published by FlightAware. Major carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France, have canceled flights through mid-November.

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport has been hit multiple times this month by Yemen's Houthi rebels and shut down on Oct. 10.

One resident was killed and ​eight ​others were injured in an attack ​on King ‌Fahd International Airport ​in ​Dammam, Saudi Arabia, ⁠on Wednesday ​evening, according to the Saudi General ‌Authority ⁠of Civil Aviation. Material damage ​was ​being ⁠assessed, it added.

Signs of a potential military confrontation between Iran and Israel have intensified, an Iranian official said late on Wednesday.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that the two sides are moving closer to a “zero hour.”

“The signs of military confrontation, particularly between Iran and the Israeli regime, have noticeably intensified,” Mohammadi wrote on his Telegram channel Wednesday.

He pointed to what he described as increased enemy flights over Iraq, movements in occupied territories and military preparations designed to provide maximum flexibility for different scenarios.

“The enemy has moved closer to ‘zero hour,’” he wrote.

Axios, citing Israeli and US officials, reported on Wednesday that "dozens" of Israeli fighter jets flew as far as Iran’s border Monday in a large-scale operation intended to project military power and deter Tehran.

Yemen’s internationally-recognised government forces said they had carried out 835 strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in 24 hours, claiming about 285 fighters and commanders had been killed or wounded.

The operations were conducted under the military campaign known as “Dawn of Yemen”, according to army spokesperson Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili.

Government forces report fresh gains in Taiz and Marib.

In a statement posted on X, al-Nazili said the military used combat aircraft, drones, field artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units to target Houthi positions, reinforcements, weapons, armoured vehicles, fortifications and supply routes.

Government forces also reported destroying or damaging around 190 military vehicles, pieces of equipment and drones.

The US-Israel war with Iran has prompted producers to rely on alternative pipelines, offshore transfers and tanker shuttles to keep oil moving. 

The bump in oil shipments highlights how Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have adapted to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The result: More oil is leaving the Middle East now than before the war with Iran began, despite Tehran’s efforts to disrupt shipping through the strait, according to energy intelligence firm Kpler.

Exports have climbed to more than 24 million barrels a day, up from 23.3 million before the war, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE ramp up pipelines that bypass the strait. 

By diverting more crude through pipelines to export terminals outside the strait, the two countries have helped sustain regional oil flows despite heightened security risks.

The higher export volume, however, does not mean the disruption has been cost-free, as per the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The cost is steep: Iranian attacks on shipping and the threat of further escalation have increased freight rates, war-risk insurance premiums and other costs associated with moving oil through the region.

The US Treasury Department sanctioned Karnakis and Karnakis, a law firm based in Panama and Greece that it says has supported Iranian shipping for years. Treasury also sanctioned shipping agents based in other countries that it says directly aid Iranian shadow fleet operations.

Qatar and France have condemned Iran’s military attacks on countries in the region and demanded that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz be restored without restrictions or fees, according to a Qatari Foreign Ministry post on X on Wednesday.

The joint statement came after talks between Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a state visit to Doha from Oct. 20 to 21.

The two leaders described Iran’s attacks as “a serious breach of international law.” They also voiced support for diplomatic efforts to counter threats from Tehran, including guaranteeing that its nuclear program remains “exclusively peaceful.”

Both sides backed moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted navigation and agreed to step up diplomatic coordination to ease tensions and strengthen regional security.

Macron commended Qatar’s mediation efforts, while Doha restated its commitment to global energy security and stable energy supplies.

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.

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.

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

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

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