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US-Iran war

'This is not neutrality' – Baghaei says 'Iran conflict' label erases aggressors from frame

  • US, Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb 28, with Trump declaring “major combat operations”
  • Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei martyred in the strikes, and his son Mojtaba succeeded him in March
  • A 2-week ceasefire agreed on April 8, followed by US-Iran face-to-face talks in Pakistan
  • A preliminary agreement reached in June, but renewed fighting and disputes over Strait of Hormuz continued through July
  • A preliminary agreement reached in June, but renewed fighting and disputes over Strait of Hormuz continued through July

US fired more interceptors defending Israel than Israel has: Iranian FM

Oil prices rise as supply concerns linger amid Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Oil prices rose on Friday after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns of further disruption to energy supplies from the Middle East.

Brent crude futures climbed 58 cents, or 0.5%, to $113.75 ‌a barrel as of 0439 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 66 cents, or 0.7%, to $100.13. 

'This is not neutrality' – Baghaei says 'Iran conflict' label erases aggressors from frame

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei in a post on X wrote, “The naming of wars can obscure responsibility for initiating them and shape narratives that serve the aggressors. Calling US and Israeli aggression against Iran the “Iran conflict” does exactly that: it erases the aggressors from the frame and places the targeted country in the title, subtly shifting the burden of responsibility.”

“This is not neutrality; it is distortion disguised as impartiality. Call aggression what it is, name those responsible, and refuse to let diplomatic language conceal the truth.”
 

Saudi-led coalition intercepts, destroys Houthi missile launched towards Riyadh

 Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said air defence systems have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia toward Riyadh.

Iran security chief says Tehran has no control over Houthi decisions on Bab al-Mandab

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, says that while Tehran backs the Houthi-led “resistance”, it is not responsible for Houthi actions in Yemen’s Bab al-Mandab Strait, Al Jazeera reports.

“The Houthis are not an Iranian military unit, and decisions concerning Yemeni territory are made by the Yemenis themselves,” Rezaei tells US news publication DropSite.

“Regarding [the] Bab al-Mandab, you should not automatically assume that what Iran does in Hormuz will be repeated there in exactly the same way. These are two different straits, two different political situations and two different actors.”

Rezaei adds that there is no joint Iranian-Yemeni decision to completely close the Bab al-Mandeb to commercial shipping, noting that the Houthis don’t need “Iranian instructions to understand the strategic importance” of the waterway.

“Anyone planning for a prolonged regional war should understand that stability in Hormuz, the Red Sea, and Bab al-Mandab cannot be separated indefinitely from the region’s overall security situation,” he adds.

 

Two killed in Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's Dammam airport

At least two people were killed and eight others injured in an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Dammam airport late Wednesday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said Thursday, as Houthi attacks against the kingdom intensify.

The victims were a Saudi national and an Indian citizen, while the injured include two Indians, two Yemenis, two Bangladeshis, one Saudi and one Nepalese, according to GACA. Injuries ranged from minor to severe.

The authority said airport operations had resumed and air traffic returned to normal, while damage assessments and security measures continued. It did not disclose the nature of the attack.

The incident follows another attack on an Aramco facility at the Shaybah oil field, where falling debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two others. Operations at the facility remained unaffected.

The Saudi-led coalition also reported intercepting and destroying five drones launched towards the kingdom.

According to an AFP tally of official figures, 22 people have been killed in attacks on Saudi airports this month.

The escalating hostilities come amid renewed conflict between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi territory, ships and energy infrastructure following the collapse of a yearslong truce.

Saudi forces have responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. 

Yemen military reports 780 strikes on Houthi targets in 24 hours

ADEN (Web Desk) - Yemeni government forces carried out 780 strikes against Houthi targets within 24 hours, claiming to have “neutralized” more than 500 fighters and commanders during operations across several fronts, the Yemeni Armed Forces said Thursday.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, military spokesperson Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili said government troops continued their advance against Houthi fighters on northern, southern and western fronts, including Al-Jawf, areas west of Marib and Al-Bayda.

The operations were conducted under the banner of Operation Dawn of Yemen, he said.

According to Al-Nuzaili, the strikes targeted Houthi field commanders, troop concentrations, reinforcements, heavy weapons positions and fortified sites. Vehicles used to transport fighters and military supplies were also targeted.

He said the attacks disrupted Houthi operations and prevented the group from reinforcing its forward positions, enabling government forces to continue their offensive.

Al-Nuzaili claimed that approximately 512 Houthi fighters and commanders had been “neutralized.” He added that more than 330 military vehicles and personnel carriers had been destroyed or disabled, alongside heavy weapons and reinforcements heading towards front-line positions in Taiz.

The military spokesperson said government forces would continue targeting Houthi military capabilities and troop concentrations to prevent the group from replenishing its forces or regaining the initiative.

He also stated that the operations would be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, with precautions in place to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. 

Iran unveils indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle

Trump says Iran is trying to drive up oil prices before midterm elections

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran was doing all it could to drive up the price of oil before the US midterm elections.

"They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else," he said in a Truth Social post.

'Economic pain and strategic collapse are not the same thing': Iran's security chief

Iran will face significant economic challenges from prolonged US sanctions and a naval blockade, but the resulting economic hardship will not necessarily lead to a strategic collapse, Iran’s security chief Major General Mohsen Rezaei has said, according to Al Jazeera.

In an interview with DropSite News, Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, acknowledged that a prolonged blockade would place considerable pressure on the country’s economy and its population.

“Iran will suffer from a prolonged blockade. Families will pay a price, investment will be damaged, and sustaining some sectors of the economy will become more difficult,” Rezaei said. “But economic pain and strategic collapse are not the same thing.”

He argued that Washington had repeatedly assumed that making life increasingly difficult for ordinary Iranians would force Tehran to accept US strategic demands. 

Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling hit southern Lebanon as troops advance

Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling have targeted several areas in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces have advanced towards the outskirts of Habbariyeh in the Al-Arqoub region, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), as reported by Anadolu Agency.

NNA reported that Israeli warplanes struck the town of Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, while artillery fire targeted Mansouri and the Bayut al-Sayyad farm south of Tyre.

Israeli artillery also shelled Wadi Zibqin, as well as areas between Beit Yahoun and Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil district overnight.

In Habbariyeh, Israeli artillery fired six consecutive shells at the outskirts of the town as a military force advanced towards the area, the agency reported.

According to NNA, the force comprised approximately 20 soldiers and four tanks and moved towards the Nabaa al-Khoukh area on the outskirts of Habbariyeh in the Hasbaya district.

The troops reportedly opened machine-gun fire while conducting searches in the area.

The developments mark a further escalation of Israeli military activity across southern Lebanon.

Saudi Aramco HQ staff told to evacuate: sources

Essential staff at the headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco in the country’s east have been told to evacuate, two sources briefed on the matter tell AFP, after their non-essential colleagues were told to work from home since last week.

Most staff had already been working remotely since Yemen’s Houthis hit the Dhahran facility last week, three sources say, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, with only essential staff on site.

Those essential employees have now also been told to work from home until further notice, two of the sources add. 

1,574 killed, 6,939 injured in Yemen escalation since August: WHO

At least 1,574 people have been killed and 6,939 others injured in Yemen since the latest military escalation began in August, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In a report seen by Anadolu, the UN health agency says it has recorded 8,513 casualties since the beginning of August, including 1,574 deaths and 6,939 injuries as of Oct 19, without specifying whether the casualties are civilians, military personnel, or both.

The agency adds that 292 people were killed and 1,048 others injured during the latest eight-day reporting period. 

Any action against Iran would come at a cost, says Rezaei

Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, has warned that any action against Iran would come at a cost, while emphasizing that Tehran prefers diplomacy.

General Rezaei also stated that Iran had held back some of its capabilities during previous stages of confrontation, warning that the country is prepared to deploy additional capabilities in the event of another war.
 

Iran urges Europe to condemn US-Israeli military aggression

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has urged European countries to condemn the military aggression against Iran, stressing that Tehran will firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat or attack, IRNA reported.

Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting with Poland’s Undersecretary of State of Foreign Affairs Wojciech Zajaczkowski in Tehran on Wednesday evening on the sidelines of the third round of political consultations between Iran and Poland. 

Trump denies Iran negotiations, says situation will resolve 'fairly soon'

US President Donald Trump said Washington is doing “very well militarily and financially” against Tehran, calling the war as “a little conflict against Iran,” Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump was asked whether he had given up on negotiating with the Iranians. “No, I think we’re not negotiating with – we are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon,” he said.

“Most people seem to think it’s after the election, and we’re going to see what happens,” he added, referring to the upcoming US midterm elections.
“But I will say this, what we’ve done with Iran is amazing,” Trump said.
 

Iran urges UN Security Council to condemn US naval blockade of its ports

Iran Ambassador to UN Gholamhossein Darzi has condemned the US naval blockade as a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, according to Press TV.

He urged the UN chief and Security Council president to call on Washington to respect Iran’s sovereignty and end the blockade. 

Iran's IRGC Navy says seven vessels hit, warns US of wider response

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard ?Corps Navy said ‌on Thursday that four vessels involved ?in illegal oil ?transfers in the northern ?Persian Gulf ?were simultaneously hit ?and caught fire after being tracked by its ?forces on ?Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The IRGC added that three ‌more ?vessels collided with mines west of the Strait ?of Hormuz, ?and ?warned the US military ?that continued provocations ?could ?lead to a wider response ?against ?its regional ?bases. 

US, Israel prepare for possible new strikes on Iran after midterm elections: reports

The United States and Israel are reportedly preparing for the possibility of launching fresh attacks on Iran following the US midterm elections, according to The New York Times.

The report said potential targets could include Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and stockpiles of missiles and drones. US military assets across the Middle East are expected to be ready by early November, according to the information cited in the report.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also discussed the possibility of further strikes during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the report said.

Meanwhile, the United States and Israel are conducting military exercises in Iraqi airspace as part of preparations for potential operations, according to the report.
 

Three killed, several injured in attack on Saudi airport, Aramco oil field

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has reported an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the country’s eastern city, leaving one person dead and eight others injured.

In a statement, the authority said the injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy reported two fatalities following an attack targeting the country’s Shaybah oil field.

According to the ministry, a drone attempting to strike a facility at the Shaybah oil field, operated by Saudi Aramco, was intercepted, and the attempted attack was thwarted.

The ministry said the drone incident did not affect operations at the oil field, adding that activities at the facility continued as normal.
 

Oil rises as US orders diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia amid escalating tensions

Oil prices rose on Thursday as more attacks by the Houthis in Saudi ‌Arabia prompted the United States to order some diplomats and family members to leave its missions in the Kingdom.

Brent crude futures rose $1.29, or 1.2%, to $110.11 a barrel at 00:34 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 97 cents, or 1%, to $98.12. Brent had settled largely unchanged on Wednesday, while WTI had eased 67 cents. 

US orders diplomats to depart Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes

The US State Department has ordered some diplomats and family members to depart from its missions in Saudi Arabia and plans to withdraw family members from a number of other US missions in the region, US officials told Reuters.

The order came as attacks in Saudi Arabia killed at least one person and injured eight others at a civilian airport in Dammam and two people were killed in a drone attack on an oil field.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X that the department ordered the departure of "non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only" amid attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen on civilian targets in the country.

Washington had returned some diplomatic personnel to the region in recent months after many were pulled out when Tehran launched attacks on US facilities after the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February.

"Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions," Pigott ‌said.

Four US officials told Reuters that US missions in other Gulf states would also be ordering family members to leave. Pigott did not address changes to other missions outside Saudi Arabia.

The latest withdrawals follow an escalation of the fighting in Yemen, opening another front in the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. The wider conflict has snarled global energy trade and hurt Gulf economies.

After the departure order, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam that killed one person and injured eight others. Earlier in the day, two people were killed after Saudi air defences intercepted a drone that was attempting to hit a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, the energy ministry said.

The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday about possible further attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, after recent deadly strikes including on Riyadh's airport.

The embassy and a CIA station hosted there came under attack by drones in early March, as Iran began launching attacks across the region.
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Reporting by Rami Ayyub, Humeyra Pamuk and Timour Azhari; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis and Sanjeev Miglani