US-Iran war: Saudi-led coalition intercepts 2 Houthi missiles fired at Riyadh as oil prices surge 5% over Iran attack fears

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it briefed international shipping partners during a virtual discussion on the Strait of Hormuz, as commercial traffic through the key waterway increases.

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper highlighted growing momentum for freedom of navigation and thanked industry leaders and other US government agencies for their continued support.

Cooper also acknowledged the sacrifices of civilian crews, which CENTCOM said had been affected by what it described as “unwarranted Iranian attacks.”

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a time-late report from a verified source that a crude oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on October 6.

No casualties have been reported. The extent of the damage and any environmental impact remain unknown, UKMTO said in a post on X.

Airlines are canceling flights to Riyadh after the Houthis struck two airports in Saudi Arabia in recent days, killing three people and injuring dozens.

Singapore Air postponed the launch of its services until March 28, citing the conflict in the Middle East. Philippine Airlines canceled flights to the capital until at least Oct. 11.

Saudia, the country’s national carrier; Egyptair; Indigo; and Air India Ltd. canceled dozens of flights out of Riyadh on Thursday in the aftermath of the attacks.

Operations at King Khalid International Airport have shut down for several hours and restarted multiple times during the past few days as incoming attacks from Yemen make it unsafe for planes to land or take off from there. Abha airport in the southwest also came under fire.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency on Thursday said a kindergarten and medical complex in Riyadh were damaged by shrapnel from an intercepted missile, hours after explosions rattled the Saudi capital.

"Missile fragments fell in Riyadh after a ballistic missile was intercepted, causing material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex," read the statement posted by the agency on X, without specifying if there were any casualties.

The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returned to California on Thursday after a deployment to the Middle East, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

More than 5,000 sailors and Marines supported thousands of combat flights during the deployment and sailed more than 90,000 miles, CENTCOM said, describing the deployment as "historic".

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport called on passengers to contact airlines directly before heading to the airport on Thursday, hours after multiple explosions echoed over the Saudi capital.

"We would like to inform passengers of the necessity to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before proceeding to the airport," it said in a statement posted on X.

Yemen's Houthis said they had again targeted Riyadh airport on Thursday, after the Saudi-led coalition fighting the group said it had intercepted two missiles fired at the kingdom's capital.

"Our armed forces targeted King Khalid Airport in Riyadh at midday with a ballistic missile that hit its target," said the Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Saree.

The Saudi-led military coalition on Thursday said its forces intercepted two ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh by Houthi fighters in Yemen, a spokesman said, hours after multiple explosions were heard in the Saudi capital.

"We intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh," Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi coalition, said in a statement.

Yemen's Houthis on Thursday called on staff at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia to leave to avoid being targeted as hostilities escalate with Riyadh, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government fighting the Iran-backed group.

"Employees at all oil facilities must leave areas that are targets for our forces, so as not to endanger their lives," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree wrote on X, while also issuing a warning "to airlines, airports, travelers and their staff".

Turkey's foreign minister on Thursday ruled out sending troops to confront Yemen's Houthi forces, despite a defence pact with Saudi Arabia.

"This is a defence agreement," said Hakan Fidan. "This is not an offensive agreement. That is, Turkey will not send its troops to another country's territory to launch an attack."

Oil prices soared more than five percent Thursday following reports that the United States could launch fresh attacks on Iran before next month's midterm elections, risking further supply disruptions.

International benchmark Brent North Sea crude rallied to $105.46 per barrel and the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, was up to $92.82 per barrel.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said Thursday that he did not expect any jet fuel shortages in Europe this winter, and not before summer 2027, even as the Iran war disrupts supply chains.

"There is no question, I think, over availability of jet fuel in Europe this winter, or frankly into next summer either, unless there's some unforeseen event," O'Leary said at a press conference by the A4E association of European airlines in Brussels.

But jet fuel prices have soared more than oil prices since the start of the war, which has seen Iran respond with strikes on Gulf refining infrastructure in countries it accuses of helping the United States.

The Irish low-cost carrier said last month that it would reduce its flight schedules this winter in the face of higher fuel costs, and trimmed its full-year passenger target to 214 million from 216 million.

"Historically, jet fuel was about somewhere between 10 percent and 15 percent more expensive than Brent crude. It's currently running at about 50 percent more expensive," O'Leary said.

"And I don't see that changing for the next 12, 18 months as the Ukrainians are attacking Russian refineries, the Houthis and the Iranians are attacking refinery capacity in the Middle East, and refinery or tanker shortages and refinery capacity is going to be a real challenge," he added.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the attacks by the Houthi Group on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in the deaths of three people, a Moroccan, an Algerian, and a Sudanese national, and injuries to dozens of civilians.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.

The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the continued criminal aggression by the terrorist Houthi militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including its targeting of Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport, which resulted in the deaths of several civilians and injuries to others.
In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa reiterated his condemnation of these heinous terrorist attacks. He emphasized that such acts violate religious values, as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms, and further demonstrate the criminal nature of this terrorist militia through its deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
On behalf of the MWL’s global councils, bodies, and assemblies, as well as the Muslim peoples represented by the MWL, the secretary-general reaffirmed the MWL’s full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to deter aggression and safeguard its security and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The Arab Republic of Egypt has strongly condemned the assaults and attacks targeting the territory of Saudi Arabia, including Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport, which resulted in civilian casualties and injuries.
In a statement issued today, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the escalation and attacks against the Kingdom's territory threaten its security and destabilise the wider region.
It reaffirmed its solidarity with the Kingdom in confronting any actions that jeopardize its security or undermine its stability, stressing the need to put an end to such attacks, uphold the principles of international law, and respect state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

India's Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday condemned the attacks of the past few days on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which have caused civilian deaths and injuries, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure "completely unacceptable". In a statement, the ministry offered its deepest condolences to the families of those killed, wished the injured a speedy recovery and said India stands in solidarity with the people and government of Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed France’s full solidarity with the Kingdom and its support for the Kingdom’s efforts to defend its territory and infrastructure against these attacks.
The statement called on the Houthi militia to immediately cease its attacks and provocations, which further destabilise the region and exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Oil prices soared Thursday and equities tumbled on fresh inflation fears following a report that said President Donald Trump was considering more strikes on Iran ahead of next month's US midterm elections.

The selling tracked a retreat on Wall Street, where tech firms pulled back from recent gains, having weathered concerns over spiking borrowing costs and geopolitical uncertainty.

Crude had started the week on the back foot thanks to signs that exports from the Middle East were heading back towards pre-war levels and that G7 nations had agreed to tap their stockpiles.

UAE travellers faced another morning of disruption on Thursday as regional security concerns continued to hit some routes, with delays reported on departures from both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, and cancellations affecting flights to destinations including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Philippine Airlines also cancelled two Manila-Riyadh services, citing the developing security situation around Saudi Arabia. Read more

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has shared images of a US Air Force F-16 fighter jet being refuelled by a KC-135 Stratotanker during a mission in the Middle East. The post comes as US forces maintain a heavy presence in the region amid the ongoing war with Iran and rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemen's Houthis said Thursday that they struck the Saudi capital's main international airport with a ballistic missile, in a new attack on the kingdom claimed by the Iran-backed group.

"Our armed forces successfully targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, which accurately struck its target and disrupted airport operations," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X.

Oil markets remained volatile on Thursday (Oct. 8, 2026), with WTI at $88.93 a barrel, up 0.74%, Brent at $100.20, down 0.38%, and Abu Dhabi’s Murban at $106.70, up 0.47%, as of 8.08 am Tokyo time. The mixed performance reflects a market caught between improving Middle East oil flows and persistent security risks around the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent has struggled to fall decisively below $100 despite the recovery in Gulf crude exports: freight rates, war-risk insurance and inefficient alternative shipping routes remain exceptionally expensive. Tanker attacks around Hormuz are also keeping a geopolitical premium embedded in prices.

The Saudi-led coalition said Wednesday it had destroyed 82 Houthi military targets in four Yemeni provinces following attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia.

Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki Al-Maliki said the operation targeted sites in Saada, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf and Marib, including 11 mountain-based ballistic-missile storage facilities in Saada, as well as command-and-control centres, communications systems, missile and weapons depots and Houthi gathering sites.

Al-Maliki said the strikes followed Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, declaring that attacks on civilian sites “will not go unpunished.”

Saudi authorities said the airport attacks killed three people and injured 36. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they had targeted the two airports with drones and ballistic missiles.

The latest exchange marks a sharp escalation in fighting as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces battle to regain territory from the Houthis, amid a wider regional conflict.

Iran and Oman have agreed on the geographical coordinates of designated safe transit routes for ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday.

The two countries also agreed on how the route coordinates will be communicated to the relevant international maritime body, Baghaei said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

The agreement builds on a phased Iran-Oman framework for restoring navigation through the strategic waterway. Oman and Iran previously agreed in August to establish a temporary navigational corridor, clear mines and work towards a permanent corridor, with traffic management and information-sharing arrangements.

However, the agreement does not by itself mean Hormuz is fully open or that commercial vessels have an unconditional guarantee of safe passage.

Iran has previously said reopening the waterway depends on wider conditions, while an Iranian official said on October 7 that Tehran planned to close what it considers “illegal routes” near Oman’s coast.

India and Oman discussed bilateral relations, including political and strategic cooperation, trade and investment, energy, defence and maritime cooperation, and exchanged views on regional security and developments relating to the Strait of Hormuz during the 15th round of the India-Oman Strategic Consultative Group in New Delhi.

A tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar reported being struck "by multiple projectiles", causing an unspecified number of casualties, the UKMTO maritime agency said on Wednesday.

The incident took place 51 nautical miles (94 kilometres) off the coast of the tiny Gulf state, the British agency said, adding that authorities were investigating. It did not specify the origin of the ship.

The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday it had approved an 18-month program to help war-ravaged Yemen achieve economic stabilization and strengthen its macroeconomic frameworks, even as its civil war rages on.

The IMF's "Staff-Monitored Program" offers technical assistance but does not have a financial component.

Yemen is among the poorest countries in the world and has been combatting a Houthi rebellion for years, with Saudi Arabia leading an international coalition that has been fighting the Iran-backed group since 2015.

The war has caused a humanitarian crisis that has left most of the population dependent on aid to survive.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday hailed the USS Abraham Lincoln's crew while visiting the ship as it returned from a lengthy, difficult Iran war deployment in which multiple service members in the carrier strike group attempted suicide.

The massive nuclear-powered warship left California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East before US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began in late February, staying at sea until a Thailand port call in early September.

"What the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group did, no other carrier strike group has ever done," Hegseth said in remarks to service members on the ship while it was at sea in the Pacific.

"Ten thousand sorties, 23,000 combat flight hours, almost 4,000 combat sorties," he said, later announcing the award of a presidential unit citation to the strike group for "extraordinary heroism against enemy forces."

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said one of its posts was targeted on Wednesday near the border with Israel by small-arms fire, but there were no casualties.

"This morning, several rounds of small arms fire impacted a UNIFIL position near Kfar Shouba along the Blue Line in Sector East," the UN force said in a statement, referring to the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon.

The blue helmets described the shooting as "unacceptable". 

"Such deliberate attacks gravely endanger the lives of peacekeepers," it said, adding that it was investigating the incident. 

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation says the airports of Abha and Riyadh were attacked on Tuesday and Wednesday

Two residents, an Algerian and a Moroccan, were killed in the attack on the airport of Abha, the civil aviation said, adding that 28 residents and citizens were injured.

A Sudanese resident was killed in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, it added.

Read the full report here.

Day 222: Trump warns US may finish Iran war in a ‘not-so-nice’ way

Day 221: Iran warns US, Israel: Response to attack will be ‘devastating’

Day 220: Mecca Alliance could be 'NATO of Mid-East’ vs Houthis

Day 219: Trump weighs ‘easy or hard’ option as Iran holds firm

Day 218: Iran's IRGC warns US of 'more lethal' response 

Day 217: US sends 9,000 more troops, third carrier to Middle East

Day 216: US sends 9,000 more troops, third carrier to Mid-East

Day 215: Iran says received US response to its proposal to end war

Day 214: Iran threatens strikes as it awaits US response to Hormuz plan

Day 213: Iran supreme leader says US will be forced out of Middle East

Day 212: Trump expects talks with Iran to resume in coming week

Day 211: US military activity surges around Strait of Hormuz

Day 210: Trump discusses Iran conflict with Xi Jinping