Jordan’s strike — a reprisal against a gun attack on a church — sparked the worst crisis between the two countries since the ousting of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Syria condemned the strikes on the country’s south as an “unacceptable violation”, while Jordan said it killed more than 20 fighters in its raid.

Jordan sought to ease tensions on Tuesday, saying it had “great respect” for its neighbour and expressed regret for civilian casualties.

The main Nassib border crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, was closed following the strikes, but passenger and commercial movement will return to normal as of Wednesday morning, senior Syrian customs official Mazen Alloush told state news agency SANA.

Last week, gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan’s Karak governorate, killing nine people and wounding 25 — prompting a military response from Amman.

While Jordan insisted it coordinated its airstrikes with Syria, Damascus denied the claim, and Syria’s civil defence agency said the raids killed seven people, including three children.

On Tuesday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke to his Syrian counterpart and emphasised Jordan’s “full respect for Syria’s sovereignty … and security”, while also expressing “sorrow and grief over the death of innocent civilian victims”, according to a joint statement.

The two officials also discussed the raids against what the statement branded as “Daesh sites”, using an acronym to refer to the militant Islamic State (IS) group.

Earlier, Jordan’s government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani had said that “the preliminary results … indicate significant losses among Daesh’s ranks — estimated at more than 20 fighters”.

He also said “a large weapons depot belonging to the organisation” had been destroyed.

‘Blatant violation’

Earlier, Syria’s foreign ministry issued a “condemnation and rejection” of the strikes, calling them “an unacceptable violation and breach of Syrian airspace without any prior coordination”.

It also said the raid was “a blatant violation of the principles of good-neighbourliness and Syrian national sovereignty”.

In the coming days, a joint Syrian-Jordanian security committee will meet to discuss the operations against IS, a government source told Syrian state news agency SANA.

Syria said five people, including a woman and three children, were killed in the village of Al-Taf in Daraa province, which borders Jordan, with two other people killed elsewhere in the south.

“We were asleep when the missile hit us. My mother, my older brother and his three children — two boys and a girl — were killed,” said Nassouh al-Salim in Al-Taf, staring at a grey body bag.

An AFP reporter saw a huge crater in the family’s destroyed home, with school books, clothes and the remains of furniture strewn among the rubble.

Syrian Emergencies and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said on Tuesday that both sides were handling the dispute through “diplomatic and legal channels” with the aim of securing justice for the victims.

‘Dark ideologies’

On Monday, Amman said authorities had arrested three Jordanians accused of the church killings, two of them brothers and the other related by marriage.

Authorities said the suspects were hospitalised after being wounded in a shootout with security forces.

Karak is home to a significant Christian community in Muslim-majority Jordan, where Christians make up between two and three percent of the population.

“We vowed the terrorists would not escape punishment, and no proponent of dark ideologies that divide Jordanians will be tolerated,” King Abdullah II said.

IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, after it seized swathes of territory during the country’s more than 13-year civil war.

But remnants are still present, and the group occasionally claims attacks, mainly targeting Syrian security forces.

The group has previously been present in parts of Daraa province.

RIYADH: Yemen’s Houthis said they fired missiles at Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil refinery and defence ministry on Tuesday, as shrapnel from interceptions caused damage in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top exporter of crude, has suffered weeks of strikes by the Houthis against oil and civilian sites, including Riyadh’s international airport.

The Houthis said they fired ballistic missiles at the defence ministry in Riyadh and the Ras Tanura refinery on Saudi’s eastern coast among a series of attacks on Tuesday.

“Our armed forces targeted the Ministry of Defence in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a ballistic missile and the hit was direct,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said.

The Houthis were also “able to target the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile”, he said in a separate post, adding the strike caused “massive fires”. Saudi authorities did not comment on specific targets but said they shot down missiles over Riyadh and the Eastern Province.

AFP correspondents in Riyadh heard explosions on Tuesday. A text message alert warned residents to seek shelter as blasts rattled windows in the city centre.

Saudi authorities said they shot down two ballistic missiles launched towards the capital, with shrapnel hitting a building, a construction project and a car.

Three Houthi missiles fired towards Eastern Province were also intercepted, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis said.

‘Very loud bang’

A resident in the city of Al Khobar, south of the Ras Tanura complex, said he heard explosions around dawn and received a text message alert. “We got the alert on the mobile and then heard a very loud bang,” the resident said.

Maritime security agency Vanguard said a fire was reported in the Ras Tanura area in the early hours of Tuesday after an attack.

“The fire has reportedly been contai­ned, while the extent of damage and any impact on oil-loading operations remain unclear at current,” Vanguard said.

The Ras Tanura facility along Saudi Ar­a­bia’s Gulf coast is home to one of the Mid­dle East’s largest refineries and is a cor­­nerstone of the kingdom’s energy sector.

The complex, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, has been repeatedly targeted by strikes blamed on Iran, including a March drone attack that forced a partial shutdown of the refinery.

Also on Tuesday, the Houthis said they had also launched ballistic missiles at two military transport aircraft in southern Saudi Arabia.

Saree said they targeted the aircraft “with ballistic missiles, one at Najran airport and the other at (King) Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait”, while also aiming a drone at Abha airport.

Egypt ‘declared war’

Earlier, a Houthi official said the Egyptian parliament’s decision to authorise defensive military support for Saudi Arabia amounted to a declaration of war.

Parliament authorised the measure on Monday, following a request from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“It is truly remarkable that while these people go to discuss what they call ‘peace in the region’, Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so, declare war against the Republic of Yemen,” said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, in a Telegram post.

It was not clear exactly what support was on offer from Egypt, which has the Arab world’s largest military.

Al-Houthi’s statement also pointed to Monday’s visit to Tehran by the Saudi def­ence minister, Pakistan’s army chief and Turkiye’s intelligence chief, in a bid to de- escalate tensions in the Middle East war.

Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad recently signed a Nato-style defence pact in Makkah, pledging to consider an attack on one country as an attack on all three.

Turkiye and Pakistan have not ann­o­u­nced any strikes on the Houthis during the group’s weeks of attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Al-Houthi said the group was “not afraid of any alliance that may be formed”.

Yemen’s largely dormant conflict reignited in July, further destabilising the region months into the war between the United States and Iran.

The Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities, before seizing swathes of Red Sea coastline in a major offensive in September.

The Houthis have in turn reported frequent Saudi strikes targeting areas under their control.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026

The report ​by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, examined violations ‌against Palestinian civilians, including children, since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, up to September this year.

It said Israeli authorities had kept committing “genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza”, and that the situation had also continued ​to deteriorate in the occupied West Bank.

Another report by the commission in September last year found that Israel had committed genocide ​in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts — accusations that ⁠Israel called scandalous.

The Israeli mission in Geneva said the latest report was part of a misinformation campaign to demonise the State of ​Israel.

“The attempt to destroy the Jewish state … continues today through efforts by actors such as the UN Commission of Inquiry to undermine Israel’s ​legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself,” Ambassador Daniel Meron claimed in a statement.

Heavy munitions hit populated areas, commission says

The commission found that Israeli forces continued using heavy munitions, drones, quadcopters, artillery and sniper fire in densely populated areas during the ceasefire in Gaza.

It said the “Yellow Line”, which was ​presented as a temporary ceasefire demarcation, was encroaching increasingly into Gaza, and becoming a de facto border, which the report said reflected ​Israel’s expanding territorial control of Gaza.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed ‌about 1,200 ⁠people in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

In its report to the UN General Assembly, the commission said the situation in the West Bank had also deteriorated sharply, with the number of Palestinians killed in airstrikes increasing from six between 2008 and Oct 6, 2023, to 254 between Oct 7, 2023 and Sept 30, 2026.

The report said Israeli military operations, alongside sustained settler violence, formed part of a widespread ​and systematic attack against the ​civilian population in the West ⁠Bank since Oct 7, 2023.

“The Commission concludes that the Israeli authorities and forces have committed the crimes against humanity of extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence in the West Bank, as ​well as persecution based on intersecting discriminatory grounds, with nationality, race and ethnicity at its core.”

Commenting ​on the report, the ⁠Israeli mission said the international community should reject what it described as distortions, and “repudiate the Commission’s findings”.

Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said the intentional killing of Palestinian civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank formed part of a broader strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians.

Military operations ⁠since January ​2025 have led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since ​1967, with 34,176 Palestinians remaining displaced as of August 2026, the report said.

The commission also faulted the Palestinian Authority, saying it had targeted Palestinians who voice dissenting views ​and that journalists and human rights defenders had been killed and injured.

However, the image is old and edited using AI.

Iran hosted senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye on Oct 26 for talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian called for regional unity and a coordinated stance among Islamic countries, urging them to strengthen cooperation and oppose actions by the United States and Israel.

The meeting focused on regional security, the consequences of US-Israeli attacks on Iran and efforts to de-escalate tensions. Iranian officials said the four countries agreed to continue talks on regional peace and security, while Saudi Arabia said the visit aimed to promote dialogue and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

On Oct 26, a Houthi supporter, based on their past posts, shared an image on X allegedly showing Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman kissing the hand of the Iranian president. The post gained 63,000 views.

A pro-PTI user also shared the same image in a similar context with the following caption: “In fact, this is the path to peace. Come to Tehran and pledge allegiance. Welcome, my beloved.” The post attracted 27,000 views on X.

Several other pro-Houthi accounts further reposted the same image on Facebook and X, as seen here, here, here, here, here and here.

A keyword search was conducted to determine whether any credible Saudi, Iranian, or international media outlets had published the image or reported on an incident in which the Saudi defence minister allegedly kissed the Iranian president’s hand, but yielded no reports.

Investigating the image also found several visual discrepancies, such as deformities around the Saudi official’s fingers and hand as he kisses the Iranian president’s hand.

There were also slight deformities and distortions on the Iranian president’s cheek and neck as well, hinting that the image was likely edited through AI.

The image was then analysed using multiple AI-detection tools to assess whether it had been artificially generated or manipulated. Hive Detect reported a 99 per cent likelihood of AI generation, while DeepAI and TruthScan also indicated a 90pc likelihood that the image was edited using AI.

A reverse image search of the viral photo yielded an Arab News report covering the funeral procession of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 3, 2026.

The report stated that Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji attended the ceremony, where he met Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The featured image in the Arab News report shows a strong resemblance to the viral photo, with the same background and the officials wearing similar attire.

However, a comparison of the two images reveals a key difference. The viral image depicts the Saudi official kissing the Iranian president’s hand, whereas the original image shows him simply shaking hands with the president.

The same report, featuring the same image, was also published by Saudi news outlet Saudi Gazette and the official Saudi Press Agency.

Therefore, the claim that a viral image shows the Saudi defence minister kissing the hand of the Iranian president is false.

The image is edited using AI, and the older original picture does not even feature the Saudi defence minister.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.

Images from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite observation network dated Oct 24 show the oil spill has widened over the last few days and is reaching close to the shores of the northern Umm Al Quwain emirate, with dark layers of oil spreading at sea and along its coastline.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have driven up security risks for maritime traffic and heightened fears over the conflict’s environmental fallout.

October has been the worst month for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waterways, according to data compiled by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

The UAE said on Friday that efforts were under way to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore, with its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment conducting an environmental assessment.

Authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill. But experts said that the spill was coming from a tanker called the Gem No.2, which shipping sources said was a vessel that had been struck by an unidentified projectile last month, causing a fire that was later extinguished.

The images provided by the EU’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites showed a large oil spill coming from the tanker.

Authorities across various northern emirates respo­nded to the spill by restricting access to coastal areas.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said that all beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed, while authorities in neighbouring Sharjah shut access to Al Hamriyah Beach as a precaution.

“The reported oil spill off Umm Al Quwain is a serious environmental concern. The temporary closure of beaches and coastal areas is a prudent precaution while the extent of the spill and the movement of the oil are assessed,” Nidal Hilal, Professor of Engineering and Director of New York University Abu Dhabi’s Water Research Center, said.

In Ras Al Khaimah, known for its beaches and luxury resorts, authorities said on Saturday that all beaches in the emirate would be closed until further notice.

The UAE’s marine life “is rich in fish, plants and corals, with over 500 different species of fish inhabiting the Gulf waters,” including dolphins and marine turtles, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, says on its website.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026

The municipality in Hebron, the Palestinian territory’s largest city, said in a statement that 3,189 people had been forced from their homes by the ongoing operation.

It followed Friday’s attack in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers at a checkpoint near the city, just days before Tuesday’s Israeli elections. The gunmen were killed in a shootout.

Israeli troops entered the Hebron neighbourhood of Ein Deir Baha, where the two assailants lived, and ordered residents to pack up and leave.

Israel’s “aggressive operation” has already resulted in the forcible displacement of thousands of Palestinians, “demolished homes and commercial property, and deprived residents of the ability to move freely”, UN rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement.

“The sweeping steps taken raise grave concerns of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force — which must end.”

He said the lockdown was confining many to their homes and immediate neighbourhoods.

“Declarations by senior Israeli government officials indicate that the measures implemented are punitive in nature and designed to instil fear. This is unacceptable,” said Turk.

“Those who have been displaced must be allowed to return home. Israel must ensure compensation and reparation for unlawful evictions and demolitions, and associated displacement.

“Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law. Threats to empty and erase entire neighbourhoods also raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing.”

Speaking earlier in Cairo, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply alarmed by Israeli actions in the West Bank.

“Evictions are unrelenting, with Palestinians driven from their lands. Settler violence is surging,” he said.

“We are seeing an increasingly coercive environment, with the spectre of ethnic cleansing looming ever larger. This must end.”

Guterres said there could be no durable peace in the Middle East “without the realisation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination”.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), these “reprehensible attacks constitute a grave violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and demonstrate a blatant disregard for the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites and the safety of civilians”.

Pakistan reiterated its “unwavering solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and its firm commitment to the Makkah Alliance, the FO said.

It reaffirmed its steadfast support for the kingdom’s security, stability and defence, including the protection of the Two Holy Mosques against any external aggression or threat.

Pakistan also commended the “vigilance and efficiency” of Saudi air defence forces in countering the attacks, it said.

A day earlier, the Muslim World League also condemned Houthi attacks targeting Makkah and Madina.

In a statement, the Makkah-based organisation said the attacks showed “disregard for the danger of frightening the feelings of more than two billion Muslims, and the violation of the values of our true religion, and the most basic principles of humanity”.

The condemnations came after the Houthis said they had launched attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports on Saturday, prompting the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Yemen rebel group to announce that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles as clashes between the sides intensified.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, crude oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline.

He also said the group had targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif.

Saudi Civil Defence said debris from intercepted missiles had fallen in the Makkah and Madina regions. It said fragments of intercepted missiles had fallen in Wadi al-Mughammas in Makkah, as well as in areas of Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh.

The Houthis subsequently denied targeting Makkah and Madina, saying their operations were directed at “Saudi oil facilities and military bases”.

The renewed fighting has shattered a UN-brokered truce reached in 2022 that largely halted cross-border attacks between the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, and the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had asked parliament last week to approve defending its Gulf Arab ally and the world’s biggest oil exporter if Riyadh requests help against the Houthis, whose advances also threaten the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, a gateway to Egypt’s Suez Canal.

The House of Representatives “approved authorising President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

Egypt has frequently condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf countries but has not publicly engaged in direct combat or joined the Makkah mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye that was signed in August.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said this month that Egyptian membership in the pact remains “under serious consideration”.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous state with one of the region’s largest militaries, joined the Saudi-led coalition in an earlier phase of Yemen’s war in March 2015 mainly as a naval partner, sending warships to secure Red Sea shipping lanes while pledging air support. It also deployed around 800 ground troops but played only a limited combat role.

Egypt was involved in a costly military intervention in Yemen in the 1960s and has not undertaken a large-scale foreign ground deployment since the 1991 Gulf War.

Saudi Arabia is a major political and financial partner of Cairo, providing billions of dollars in aid, deposits at the central bank and energy supplies under Sisi.

Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi militia, which controls the capital Sanaa, has escalated in recent weeks, becoming a volatile front in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The Houthis have attacked Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil giant Saudi Aramco, disrupting flights and oil exports, while aid agencies have warned of worsening conditions in Yemen, already suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

FM Abdelatty and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad travelled to Riyadh on Wednesday to deliver a letter to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from Sisi, who said Egypt’s support would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders rather than attacking Yemen.

Abdelatty said after that visit that Cairo advocates exploring “every opportunity” to resolve the Yemen conflict diplomatically.

The Saudi crown prince visited Sisi in Cairo on Sept 15 to discuss security and navigation in the Red Sea after the fighting in Yemen reignited.

“I hope that the presence of representatives of important and influential Islamic countries at this meeting will help further consolidate regional unity and cohesion,” Pezeshkian said, according to a statement shared on the presidential website, urging Islamic countries to “stand together and adopt a coordinated position”.

“Muslims are brothers to one another and must stand together as a united front against threats and actions targeting Muslim nations,” he stressed.

Condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and other regional countries, he said: “We must not allow the Israeli regime to assassinate and aggress against any individual or country whenever it desires. I am confident that if Islamic countries stand alongside each other and adopt a coordinated stance, the possibility of such actions repeating will not exist.”

The Iranian president also criticised the United States for claiming “readiness for negotiation and dialogue simultaneously with attacking Iran” during the war.

Pezeshkian stressed the need for translating political understandings into practical actions, stating: “We are determined to tread this path, but achieving this goal requires Islamic countries to reach a common understanding of their objectives, draw a clear vision, and pursue the implementation of agreements with mutual commitment until results are achieved.”

He cautioned against policies of the United States and Israel that were aimed at “creating a rift among Muslim nations”, and called for heightened vigilance.

The Iranian president also called for increased cooperation among regional countries in various fields.

Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster earlier shared a video of the meeting, saying the quadrilateral meeting on “regional security and stability” had begun. The video showed Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi sitting with Iran’s president, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

Earlier in the day, Inter-Services Public Relations had confirmed that CDF Munir was visiting Tehran, but did not share any further details.

The talks also included Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkiye’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin.

At the start of the meeting, Iran’s state broadcaster reported the meeting was bringing together Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye to discuss “regional cooperation, the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its consequences”, among other topics.

State-run PressTV also shared pictures of the meeting.

Following the meeting, Rezaei, head of Supreme National Security Council, told state television, “Very good discussions took place between us.”

“I feel that a new atmosphere is emerging in the region … I sensed a very positive atmosphere in the discussions among the gentlemen.”

Iranian state television reported that the four countries agreed to continue talks after a “first” meeting in Tehran. It said they “agreed to continue discussions to strengthen cooperation… including on regional peace and security”.

‘Endogenous security’

Earlier, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted the deputy secretary of Iran’s top security body, Ali Bagheri Kani, as saying that the visit was part of efforts to implement the idea of endogenous security in West Asia.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, said during a media briefing that the meeting with officials from the three countries would cover “most pressing issues threatening our region”, which included Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in Palestine and Lebanon.

He added that the topic of “top priority on the agenda would be consequences of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its ramifications for the entire region”.

IRNA further quoted him as saying that this meeting could be a prelude to further steps towards shaping “endogenous security — an issue that we have been insisting on for decades”.

“We emphasise that regional security will not be ensured except by relying on the … security considerations of the countries of the region,” he said, adding that events of the last two years, especially the past eight months, had shown that sustainable and reliable security would only be made possible by “building trust and cooperation among the countries in the region”.

Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly had also confirmed the visit in a post on X. Krimly described the visit as “part of the continued efforts by the Makkah Defence Alliance members for de-escalation between parties involved in the ongoing crisis, and promoting dialogue and diplomatic solutions, in support of the mediation efforts carried out by Qatar and Pakistan”.

“The visit underscores the pivotal role of Makkah Defence Alliance members in reinforcing regional security and stability, and working with all countries in the region to achieve that goal,” he added.

The visit comes as attacks by Houthis have spiralled over recent weeks and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated.

Monday’s planned talks would be the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the Makkah Defence Alliance since Saudi Arabia was drawn deeper into the conflict. Under the Makkah pact, signed in August, an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

CDF Munir had visited Iran last week. During the visit, Iranian leaders had conveyed that the US must take the first steps to rebuild trust, and that the acceptance of Tehran’s seven-point proposal could provide a starting point for renewed negotiations.

According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Baqaei said during the media briefing that the suggestion for the meeting was made during CDF Munir’s visit to Tehran last week. Tehran reviewed the proposal “favourably … and it is scheduled to be held today”, he added.

War has engulfed the Middle East since late February when the US and Israel launched a wave of surprise attacks on Iran, just as Washington and Tehran were in the middle of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

An April ceasefire brought an end to the initial phase of intense bombardment but the two sides have continued to vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel.

Iran claims control over the strait and regularly targets vessels that attempt to cross without its authorisation, while the United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal which laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement.

The war has since spread across the region to include fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.

The public intervention by the prominent hedge fund manager, who is Jewish, comes just two days before Israel’s general election, in which polls show a tight race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition.

Ackman wrote on X that from the perspective of someone who had an understanding of how Israel was perceived in the United States, “Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have caused Israel enormous reputational damage with their statements and actions”.

The founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, who praised Netanyahu last week, said a government without the two ministers would send a message that Israel was “turning a new page”.

“This will allow Israel to rebuild lost credibility, increase the opportunity for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and enjoy a better relationship with Democrats and Republicans and Americans at large,” he said.

The Abraham Accords are the 2020 agreement, mediated by US President Donald Trump’s first administration, that saw Israel establish relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. It later re-established official ties with Morocco.

Representatives for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As ministers in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have overseen policies widely perceived as discriminatory against Israel’s minority Arab population and Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank.

Several countries, including Britain, Canada and Australia, have imposed sanctions on the two ministers over accusations that they have incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party is projected to win around 10 parliamentary seats at Tuesday’s election, up from 6, while Smotrich’s Religious Zionism is projected to win 8, up from 7.

Ackman, who was visiting Israel last week, and who along with his wife Neri Oxman owns 5 per cent of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, supported Trump’s candidacy for president in 2024. Trump last week publicly endorsed Netanyahu for prime minister.

Nimrod Goren, the president of Israeli think tank Mitvim, said Ackman’s statement appeared to reflect a desire among Trump’s circles for Netanyahu to drop his far-right allies after the vote to form a ‘unity government’ with opposition parties.

However, Gadi Eisenkot, the leading challenger to Netanyahu, and other opposition party leaders have ruled out forming a government with Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference on Thursday, Ackman praised Netanyahu, who he said had done a good job in protecting and defending Israel since the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling for an independent inquiry into the attack that killed around 1,200 people.

Reached for comment, the Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.

Al Shifa Hospital said it received three bodies and treated eight people who were wounded in the Gaza City drone strike, with two sources at the Islamic University saying those killed were administrative staff and the injured were students.

Gaza’s education ministry said in a statement that the students had been present for classes.

It went on to condemn the strike and said: “The global silence regarding attacks on students and universities serves as encouragement for the continuation of these crimes.”

“This strike occurs at a time when the higher education sector is facing total annihilation, with 95 per cent of the buildings belonging to academic institutions having been damaged as a result of the war,” it continued.

“This heinous assault is part of a continuous series of attacks on education; over the past six days, 10 students and educators have been killed by the occupation’s fire.”

Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said four other people were killed on Sunday, two in an airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis, one in central Deir al Balah and one in the north of the Strip.

Earlier this week, Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least four people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

A truce has been in effect in Gaza for over a year, but has failed to completely halt Israeli attacks in the territory. At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes since the ceasefire, according to the territory’s health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza.

King Khalid International Airport’s website showed several domestic and international flights scheduled on Sunday, including arrivals to the kingdom from Dubai, Paris and Cairo.

The renewed operations at the airport came as explosions rattled Riyadh early Sunday, after a text message was sent to residents warning of a hostile threat targeting the city.

Alerts warning of possible attacks were activated across the kingdom’s south throughout the day, with the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis saying at least 10 ballistic missiles were intercepted.

Saudi officials did not provide additional information when asked by AFP about the scope of the renewed operations at the airport.

But the tracking website Flightradar24 showed a small number of flights had departed, though the vast majority were cancelled.

Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition fighting the Houthis, has faced a barrage of strikes from the group in recent weeks.

The fighting erupted after a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s government fell apart.

The Houthi fighters have carried out waves of strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.

The group has also targeted oil infrastructure and other sites.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree earlier warned that Riyadh airport was still “unsafe” and a “military target”.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines — as well as staff and travellers — against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces,” he said.

“The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport.”

Later on Sunday, Saree said Saudi Arabia had struck Yemen dozens of times over the previous 24 hours.

“During the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes launched 56 airstrikes and missiles targeting civilian objects in the governorates of Hajjah, Lahj, Amran, Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Ibb using F-15 and “Typhoon” planes that took off from the bases of Khamis Mushait and Taif, and missiles from Najran,” he said on X.

Attack warning

As the airport prepared to open, AFP journalists in Riyadh heard three explosions in the early hours of Sunday, with residents receiving alert messages for a “hostile aerial threat” urging them to stay in a safe place.

The warning came as the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had downed a ballistic missile launched by the group towards the capital, as well as two drones in the capital area.

“Air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh,” the coalition posted on X.

Later on Sunday morning, the coalition said its forces intercepted a cruise missile fired by the Houthis at the kingdom’s southern city of Khamis Mushait.

Attacks appeared to target areas across the south, with warnings also issued for Abha city along with areas in Taif, Namas and Jazan.

“The bombardment has been very heavy since this morning — may God keep us safe. Everything is shaking because of the explosions,” one resident in Khamis Mushait told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The attacks came after the Houthi fighters said that — in the space of 24 hours — they targeted three Saudi airports, including in Riyadh, energy installations, a pipeline and an air base.

The Saudi civil defence agency said it had also responded to falling debris in the Makkah and Madina regions on Saturday after intercepting two Houthi missiles.

The Houthis denied targeting the cities, the two holiest in Islam, calling the Saudi claim a “huge lie”.

The Houthis also fired at the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the interim seat of the government, saying they targeted a naval base and military camp overseen by Saudi forces.

The flare-up in Yemen, with the Houthis taking control of the entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive last month, has further destabilised the region and disrupted oil markets.

The Houthi attacks have impacted Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter of crude, disrupting businesses, airlines and residents.

The remarks come amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.

“Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran.

“They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past.”

An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.

These military flare-ups have lulled in recent weeks.

Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorisation — moves strongly opposed by Washington and countries in the region.

In response, the US has been maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

In June, Iran agreed with the United States to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, laying out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict, only for the deal to later unravel as each side accused the other of violating it.

Tehran has since called for a return to the accord to end the conflict.

“The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,” said Araghchi.

“To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.”

The Palestinian Authority called for international pressure on Israel to protect residents, who said soldiers announced the evacuations over loudspeakers late at night as they packed what they could and left.

Days before tight elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was planning an operation on a scale not seen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967, after Palestinian fighters killed two Israeli soldiers on Friday at a checkpoint.

In the Hebron neighbourhood of Ein Deir Baha, nestled between two hills, vacated buildings were marked by X’s and the streets were deserted, save a pair of Israeli military vehicles. Israeli flags were draped on a house on the slope apparently taken over by troops.

Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi, 70, a shopkeeper who sells live chickens and feed and plays a leadership role in the neighbourhood, said he was awakened at 1:00am by soldiers and a senior officer who said he had to leave.

“I asked them how long the evacuation would last. They said: ‘Until further notice.’”

He told AFP he had only a short time to pack, adding that for some residents, getting out of the neighbourhood was an ordeal.

“For example, my wife’s mother, who is 90 years old and lives in the area, had to be carried out because she is ill,” he said.

Visiting Hebron, Netanyahu said he and Defence Minister Israel Katz were “considering a very extensive IDF operation in Judea and Samaria, such as has not been carried out since” the 1967 war.

The first step would see Israeli forces “enter the neighbourhood from which the terrorists came, evacuate the residents, go from house to house, and destroy the terrorist infrastructure”, he claimed.

The Palestinian Authority said it was mobilising its diplomats to seek “urgent international action that goes beyond condemnation” to prevent forced displacement.

Hamas, while not claiming credit, hailed Friday’s attack on soldiers and called on supporters to carry out more.

‘Why should I be displaced?’

To Tamimi, this is only happening because Netanyahu wants to win the election on “the blood of the Palestinian people”.

He said people were not going anywhere. “I have lived through all the stages of the occupation, and I will die here.”

Israeli forces have already demolished some buildings in the immediate vicinity of where the attack took place, and the Tamimis said they did not know if their homes would meet the same fate.

Tamimi’s brother, Khaled Shawer al-Tamimi, 68, was staying with his son after the evacuation order.

“The army was announcing through loudspeakers: ‘Leave the area.’ So we left.”

He told AFP he was surprised to hear Friday’s assailants came from the neighbourhood, which he described as middle-class and law-abiding.

“We have never seen or even heard a single gunshot being fired,” he said from his son’s sitting room as children flitted about.

“Why should I be displaced from my house?” he continued. The attackers “are the ones who carried out the act, and if the Israeli government wants to punish them, it can punish them.”

Hebron governor Khaled Dudin told AFP the army started in the attackers’ neighbourhood, “but there is no guarantee that the operation will not expand”, calling it a form of “collective punishment”.

The governor said 150 families had been affected, while Hebron mayor Youssef al-Jaabari and local activist Issa Amro put the figure at 250.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem called for urgent international pressure to prevent Israel from pursuing “plans for collective punishment and acts that could constitute war crimes”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesman, voiced concern over Israeli closures that affect Palestinian livelihoods and called for a halt to violence on all sides.

Netanyahu promises PA ‘surprise’

The Israeli military said it was “conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches” focused on the area of the two gunmen, who were both killed in a firefight. It added that the operation would last several days.

But Netanyahu suggested that bigger action was coming.

Asked if he agreed with the idea of dismantling the Palestinian Authority, as has been suggested by his far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Netanyahu referred to Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

“We transformed the Middle East,” he said, repeating a common campaign refrain, in an interview with i24News.

“There is a very big surprise for the Palestinian Authority as well.”

There is no evidence that the Palestinian Authority had any involvement in Friday’s attack.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position within the defence ministry, called for a large-scale military offensive in the West Bank “exactly like in Gaza”.

Both Ben Gvir and Smotrich are especially vocal supporters of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have proliferated under Netanyahu’s government but are illegal under international law.

Netanyahu has linked the assailants to Hamas, the resistance group in Gaza that carried out the Oct 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history.

The attack came amid rising tensions in the West Bank as Israeli settlers, who enjoy strong support from Netanyahu’s far-right allies, ramp up seizures of Palestinian land and attacks.

Rights group Yesh Din reported 672 incidents of settler violence over the past 26 days, nearly half related to the annual olive harvest.

According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,117 Palestinians in the territory since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023.

Israeli figures show that at least 51 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period.

Polls show Netanyahu is neck and neck with an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, a centre-right former military chief who also opposes a Palestinian state but has promised to crack down on settler violence.

The Public Services Department announced the closures in a statement shared by Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters. No reason was given.

The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that efforts were underway to contain oil leaking from a tanker offshore, with its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment conducting an environmental assessment.

All beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain were temporarily closed until technical teams completed their assessments and determined the necessary safety and marine protection measures, the ministry said.

The ministry also urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions.

Authorities in Sharjah temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, on the UAE’s northern coast near the border with Umm Al Quwain, as a precaution, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said.

Residents reported unusual odours in parts of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, but the UAE’s environment ministry said they posed no health risks. The smell remained pungent across Umm Al Quwain on Friday.

UAE authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have heightened concerns about maritime security and the conflict’s environmental fallout.

The R4 group, comprising Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, emerged in March and has been focusing on regional security and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar participated in the first meeting between the R4 and France, Germany, Italy and the UK.

“The meeting provided an opportunity for exchange of views on regional developments in the Gulf region, their social and economic impacts, and the urgent need to foster diplomatic engagement to resolve regional challenges of peace, security and stability,” it said.

“Dar briefed his counterparts on the diplomatic and mediatory role Pakistan continues to play in de-escalating tensions, preventing resumption of hostilities and promoting peace. All ministers agreed for continued engagement in this format,” it said.

The R4 bloc also held a separate meeting. According to the FO, Dar participated in the sixth R4 foreign ministers’ meeting alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The ministers reviewed developments in the region since their last meeting in New York in September, with “particular focus on the situation in the Middle East and related security challenges and conflicts”, the FO said.

They expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The FO added that the ministers also condemned the Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and underscored the importance of respecting state sovereignty.

“They discussed ways to strengthen regional coordination and advance diplomatic efforts to promote lasting peace, security, and stability,” it said.

A joint statement issued after the meeting detailed that the ministers particularly condemned Houthi strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks carried out against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab.

“They expressed their full solidarity with the government of Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and called on the Houthi militia to immediately cease all military actions, threats and attacks, and to return to the political process in good faith,” the statement said.

Regarding the US-Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz, they stressed the “urgent need” to address this conflict only through dialogue and diplomacy, as well as to prevent the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructures, including vessels.

They expressed support for the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and welcomed continued diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation and reaffirmed their commitment to a lasting negotiated solution, the joint statement said.

The participants further underscored the “vital importance” of freedom of navigation, permanent maritime safety and security and safeguarding navigational rights and freedoms.

“They noted that disruption of sea lanes threatens the security and prosperity of all, through blocking global supply chains, flows of energy, fertiliser and food, impacting vulnerable populations in the region and beyond, and thus, requires collective efforts by the international community to address these challenges.”

The ministers also rejected any measures or restrictions that impair lawful navigation and called for the swift and full resumption of safe, secure and unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the statement said, adding that the participants agreed to maintain close consultation and coordination on the afore-mentioned matters.

Moreover, they emphasised that the Israeli occupation in Gaza constituted the “fundamental source of instability” in the region and beyond, and that Israeli policies creates a “deep sense of injustice in global public opinion”.

They called for the early implementation of the two-state solution in Palestine, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

“They reiterated their support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their inalienable right to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions in order to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” the statement said.

The ministers called for an “urgent end” to the ongoing Israeli violence, as well as attempts to change the legal and historical status of Jerusalem, and to bring an end to further destruction and humanitarian tragedy in Palestine.

They condemned all the previous and current settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as the settler violence against Palestinians and underlined the urgent need for uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to and reconstruction in Gaza.

Bilateral meetings

Dar earlier held bilateral meetings with the Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the R4 meeting and a meeting between the R4 and European diplomats in Istanbul, the FO said.

In a post on X, the FO said that Dar met with Fidan ahead of the ministerial meeting, thanking him for hosting the meetings. The pair discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine.

“They expressed concern over threats to regional stability and underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and security,” the FO statement said.

Additionally, Dar and Fidan strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement.

“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye, and to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora,” the FO added.

Later, the FO said that Dar also met with Egyptian FM Abdelatty on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, where the two exchanged views on regional and international developments.

In particular, they discussed the situation in Palestine and the Middle East, and underscored the importance of “sustained dialogue and diplomacy” in addressing challenges in the region.

The two reaffirmed the “longstanding and fraternal ties” between Pakistan and Egypt, and highlighted the importance of sustained high-level engagement to further advance bilateral relations, the FO statement said.

“They agreed to impart greater momentum to cooperation across a range of areas, including trade, business-to-business linkages, agriculture, pharmaceutical, connectivity, renewable energy, defence, and people-to-people exchanges,” the FO added.

The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to continued consultations and closer coordination under the R4 framework, as well as on matters of mutual interest, it said.

The deputy premier later had a “warm and cordial meeting” with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan, where he expressed Pakistan’s full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom.

“The two leaders reaffirmed the enduring strength of the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and their commitment to further strengthening their strategic partnership through close cooperation across all areas of interest and regular consultations at all levels,” the FO said.

They also underscored the “special bond” between their countries, reinforced by their bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Makkah defence agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia; as well as their shared commitment to regional peace, security and stability, it added.

Separately, DPM Dar met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the meeting and expressed the desire to further strengthen bilateral ties “through sustained engagement and cooperation across multiple areas of mutual interest”, the FO said.

According to the FO, the two ministers discussed relations between Pakistan and Germany and exchanged views on regional and international developments. They stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and sustained international engagement to promote peace and stability and to address the evolving challenges in the region.

Dar “welcomed the constructive engagement” of Germany, France, Italy and the UK with the R4 framework, the FO said, adding that he underscored the value of “continued consultations and diplomatic coordination on issues of shared concern”.

Talks to revolve around Hormuz, Saudi Arabia

British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband’s office said the talks would essentially revolve around “the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia”.

It said Miliband “will advocate for a diplomatic solution to the [Hormuz] crisis that restores full navigational rights and freedoms”.

He will also stress “how Iranian tactics are being replicated across the region, with attacks on Saudi Arabia further destabilising the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and global chokepoints, such as Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal”, it added.

France confirmed the talks on “the Iranian crisis in its various ramifications”, hailing it as a first “in this format … against a backdrop of extreme instability and uncertainty in the region.”

The meeting will aim to “strengthen coordination between Europeans and Middle Eastern countries in the face of crises that we did not choose and that affect us all,” the French foreign ministry said.

Fidan is expected to emphasise the need for a diplomatic solution to the war between the United States and Iran, the importance of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, and reiterate Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under the Makkah defence agreement signed by Islamabad, Ankara, and Riyadh, the sources said.

The Makkah defence pact, signed on Aug 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

RIYADH: Yemen’s Houthi forces said on Thursday they had launched attacks on Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, where Saudi authorities said two people were killed.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolu­tio­nary Guards on Thursday threatened to strike American bases across the Middle East if the US military continues to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strike on the airport in the kingdom’s eastern oil hub on Wednesday evening killed a Saudi citizen and an Indian national and wounded eight others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. It said the injuries ranged from minor to serious, and that operations had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal.

Elsewhere, two people were reportedly killed in a Houthi drone attack on a Saudi oil field.

The Saudi-led coalition said separately that it had intercepted and destroyed four drones over the Riyadh and Madina regions.

Meanwhile, in a televised speech, the Houthi military spok­es­person, Yahya Saree, claimed attacks on Aramco facilities in the Red Sea city of Yanbu and on the defence ministry in Riyadh.

Saree said Saudi attacks had killed and wounded 562 people in Yemen since mid-July, when the Houthis imposed a naval blockade on the kingdom. The coalition warned at the time that it would respond “firmly”.

Following attacks in the region, Aramco told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran, on the Gulf coast, and work remotely, six people with knowledge of the matter said.

Oil prices

This would be the company’s first such evacuation since the Iran war began. The Houthis cau­sed extensive damage to the headquarters earlier this month, when a strike on the building sent fire spreading across several floors. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index fell 2.5pc on Thursday.

Oil prices rose about 3pc to a five-month high. Brent crude fut­ures gained $3.51 to $112.33 a barrel, while US West Texas Inter­mediate rose $2.14 to $99.29. Brent entered technically overbought territory for the third time in a week and is on course for its highest close since 4 May.

Analysts said the attacks were outweighing more positive signals on supply. “Reports of Middle East crude oil exports exceeding pre-conflict levels are more than countered by attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and on its oil infrastructure,” said Tamas Varga of PVM Oil.

Morgan Stanley estimated that the region’s crude exports ran at about 17m barrels a day last week, compared with an average of about 18m in the 12 months before the war.

Egypt urges diplomacy

Against this backdrop, Egypt’s foreign minister said Cairo favoured exploring “every opportunity” to resolve the conflict diplomatically, days before a parliamentary vote on authorising the armed forces to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

Direct involvement by Egypt’s military, one of the region’s largest, would raise the stakes in a front that is increasingly destabilising the wider war.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Saturday for an urgent parliamentary session on the question, but after a closed meeting on Sunday, lawmakers postponed the vote until October 26 to allow further deliberation.

On Saturday, Yahya Ali al-Rai, speaker of the Houthi-run House of Representatives, warned against Egyptian involvement and urged parliament to reject the proposal. “Should Egypt slide down this path, it would pose a grave threat to its own national security and internal stability,” he said.

Hormuz attacks

Meanwhile, the IRGC 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.

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

“This is a serious warning,” they added.

Warning for pilgrims

Separately, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has urged pilgrims to either use Iranian carriers or verify “every Iran-Iraq air sector before departure” when travelling between Iran and Iraq.

In a notice, the ministry said it received guidance from the Foreign Office and urged travellers to “use Iranian airlines or plan onward travel between Tehran/Mashad and Najaf” and “verify every Iran-Iraq air sector before departure”.

Zaireen group organisers have been instructed to “avoid relying on unconfirmed Iranian connections and to maintain alternative land routes or air arrangements, sufficient contingency funds and accommodation plans in case of cancellations”.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026

RIYADH: As the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement continues to escalate, the Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday said it had intercepted six drones launched towards the kingdom, including in the Madina region.

“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 region as well as Madina.

Al-Malki, who did not specify who was behind the launches, later said drones had been intercepted, also in the eastern region. The Houthis denied having targeted the kingdom, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying their forces had not carried out any “deep” operations in Saudi territory.

The Saudi energy ministry said that falling debris from the successful interception of a drone targeting an oil facility “resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others”. It did not say who launched the drone aimed at Shaybah oil field near the UAE border.

Within Yemen, the Houthis claimed an attack on Wednesday on a military camp near the airport in the southern city of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based.

“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 government military source and a local official told Reuters the group also attacked Riyan airport in the southeastern coastal city of Mukalla. “The Houthis used missiles and drones to target a military base housing forces from the Saudi-led coalition at Al Rayyan airport,” one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Saree said the group had targeted “military equipment transported by the Saudi enemy via military cargo planes to Al Rayyan airport”.

Egypt to support Saudis

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-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,” state-linked media reported.

Al-Qahera News, which is closely linked to state intelligence and is to broadcast a speech by Sisi, reported that he also said “the stability of our brothers in the Gulf concerns Egypt’s national security”. The speech itself has not yet been aired by Wednesday night.

Egypt’s parliament on Monday delayed a debate on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s request to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia until next week.

Sisi had asked lawmakers to approve military support for Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom, which has come under near-daily attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

Iran warns against interference

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said 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,” Mr Araghchi noted. He added that Egypt has said it “will not enter Yemen or engage in a war against Yemen”.

The decade-plus war between the Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government reignited in July.

Macron meets MbS

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Riyadh in a surprise “solidarity” visit, and met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Macron is the first Western leader to visit since the Houthis intensified their attacks on the kingdom 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.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026

The signing took place in Qatar, with ministers of the four countries attending the ceremony. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan at the signing.

The Foreign Office has yet to comment on the signing of the defence pact, but Asif posted on X his “key statements” on the ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU).

The remarks were posted as a visual share, which said: “Pakistan places great importance on strengthening defence cooperation with trusted partners. This memorandum reflects Islamabad’s shared commitment to contributing to regional peace and stability.

“We look forward to exploring opportunities for strengthening self-reliance, industrial collaboration, joint production and technology transfer while drawing on the complementary strengths of our respective defence industries, in accordance with relevant international and domestic laws and regulations.”

The statement further said, “Through this partnership, we aim to advance cooperation across joint research and development, training exchanges and industrial capability building.”

Turkiye and Qatar released similar statements on the signing of the pact.

Reuters quoted the Turkish ministry as saying that the pact, titled ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’, was aimed at defence cooperation and strengthening defensive capabilities.

“The agreement holds substantial economic importance,” it said, adding the accord sought to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities, and help collaboration in technical military training, research and development.

“By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and integration, enhance defence industrial capacities, and enable the fulfilment of the needs of allied and friendly nations,” it added.

Later, the Qatari defence ministry also released a similar statement.

Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman, and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Defence Yusuf Jauhari were the other signatories. Haluk Görgün, who heads Turkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries, was also present on the occasion.

Görgün said in a statement that the accord formed the foundation of a “strategic cooperation” to develop joint production and technology.

“Technology sharing, joint development and strengthening domestic production capabilities lie at the heart of sustainable defence industry. As Turkiye, we value partnerships that go beyond off-the-shelf procurement models, that foster the development of a nation’s own human capital and industrial infrastructure,” Gorgun said.

“We believe that the Badr MoU will contribute to transforming the complementary capabilities of Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkiye into concrete projects,” he added.

State-run Qatar News Agency said the pact was named ‘Badr’, “referring to the full moon, to signify how the four nations complement one another through this agreement, given its immense importance in terms of both defence and the economy”.

“Other friendly nations may join the MoU, in accordance with criteria agreed upon by the four countries,” it said.

Pakistan has strong brotherly and historic ties with the three countries, with intense diplomatic engagement seen in recent months with Qatar and Turkiye particularly.

Pakistan and Turkiye, along with Saudi Arabia, are members of the Makkah Defence Alliance, under which they are to treat an attack against any of them as an attack against all. Qatar had welcomed that pact as cooperation aimed at regional security and stability.

Islamabad and Doha have remained engaged as mediators in the US-Iran war. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Turkiye are part of the Regional Four (R4) Group along with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which emerged in March and has met several times since then.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Qatari counterpart during his visit to Doha, where the two agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in internal security.

During his November 2025 visit to the Gulf state, President Asif Ali Zardari met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and offered to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence production.

Last month, Indonesian naval chief Admiral Dr Muhammad Ali called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.

The two sides “reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the domains of professional training, defence collaboration and joint exercises”, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The naval chief had also met President Asif Ali Zardari.

In January, Defence Minister retired Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had called on CDF Munir, with ISPR saying he expressed Jakarta’s desire to further expand defence ties with Pakistan.

RIYADH: At least 53 people were killed and 200 others injured on Monday in a Houthi attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province, local authorities said, as fighting in the impoverished country intensifies.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at security forces during a training exercise. Video from Shabwa province verified by Reuters showed injured people and bloodied bodies scattered across the ground.

The attack came amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, with both sides trading attacks since the group advanced in September toward territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea.

The fighting in Yemen has become another front in the wider US-Israeli war with Iran, as the Houthis step up attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter.

Riyadh alerts

Saudi authorities on Monday issued brief phone alerts to residents of the capital, Riyadh, and the nearby Kharj area, warning of a “hostile aerial threat”.

“A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Riyadh City to alert of a potential danger,” Saudi civil defence said in a statement on X.

Hours later, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for six military operations over 48 hours using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

Saree said the attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast and the Shaybah oil field near the United Arab Emirates border.

Other strikes targeted Abha International Airport, radar installations and Khamis Mushait air base in the southwest, alongside a naval camp and radar site in Bir Askar in the south.

Saree claimed the three-stage attack on the Riyadh airport achieved “accurate and direct” strikes in retaliation for more than 200 Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks on Houthi-held areas over the previous 48 hours.

He vowed to continue operations “towards the Saudi interior” under a policy of “escalation for escalation” until attacks on Yemen cease.

Work from home

Amid the repeated cross-border strikes, government agencies in Riyadh instructed employees to work from home starting from Monday, according to a worker and two consultants who spoke to AFP.

An internal message sent on Sunday evening said, “It has been decided to implement remote work from Monday to Thursday this week,” while asking staff to “continue their activities as normal”.

Meanwhile, the 99-storey Kingdom Centre in downtown Riyadh, which hou­ses the regional office of the International Monetary Fund, asked employees to stay away until further notice.

Companies in the King Abdullah Financial District, home to major American firms, issued similar remote-work directives, while government offices in central Riyadh’s Al-Olaya district were evacuated two weeks earlier.

The worsening security situation prompted US embassies across the Gulf, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan to urge the Americans on Monday to exercise heightened vigilance eight months into the US-Iran war.

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance due to the complex security environment,” the security alert said, warning of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.

Noting that Riyadh’s international airport remained closed, the alert warned that “the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area” and urged citizens to prepare contingency plans.

Vote delayed, conference postponed

As regional concerns mount, Egypt’s parliament postponed until Oct 26 a vote on authorising the armed forces to support Saudi Arabia if requested.

Lawmakers adjourned a second closed-door session on Monday to discuss President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s request for authority to back the kingdom.

While el-Sissi said on Saturday that Egypt would take “any measure” necessary to protect its Gulf allies, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its lawmakers to abstain, citing economic pressures, risks to Suez Canal revenue and insufficient information on the mission’s scope and risks.

The escalating conflict has also disrupted Saudi Arabia’s business calendar, prompting organisers on Monday to postpone the flagship Future Investment Initiative conference until 2027.

Scheduled for Oct 26-29 and informally known as “Davos in the Desert,” the 10th edition of the state-backed event was set to feature executives including Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser.

While organisers said the postponement would ensure the event delivered “the full scale, extraordinary quality, and unforgettable impact that our community has come to expect”, Semafor reported that major financial firms had privately conveyed safety concerns to Saudi Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026

The military spokesperson’s remarks — made during an interview with Independent Arabia aired on Sunday — come as Saudi Arabia has been facing deadly attacks by Houthis in recent weeks.

Islamabad and Riyadh have signed two defence pacts aimed at collective deterrence, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between the two and the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance that also includes Turkiye.

Responding to a query about the military support Pakistan was providing to the kingdom amid attacks by Houthis, the DG ISPR said Saudi Arabia’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the security, and foremost the security of the Two Holy Mosques, is paramount”.

“It’s non-negotiable; it’s absolute as far as Pakistan is concerned […] So whatever support is needed to do that is being provided and will be provided,” he affirmed, adding that no alliance makes public the specifics and the quantification of the support provided.

Commenting on Pakistan’s reaction to the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, the military spokesman said, “Our reaction in Pakistan, on the streets, from a young boy and girl up to our political and military leadership, is one of anger.”

He remarked, “Our reaction is that why would anyone in his right mind attack or threaten Saudi Arabia or the holy places or even give an impression of threatening the holy places.”

He declared there could be no “ifs and buts” on the security of the holy sites.

On whether Pakistan’s support to Saudi Arabia will strictly remain defensive if the Houthi attacks continue, the the military spokesperson said all three members of the alliance were “absolutely clear […] that this alliance has no offensive intent; it is purely defensive”.

Citing Article 51 of the United Nations Charter that provides collective deterrence, he said such a mechanism “gives a very strong and clear message to those elements of instability, of chaos, in the region that if you directly or indirectly wage this war against any of these three countries, then the response will be collective”.

“If that deterrence doesn’t work, then that deterrence has to be re-established by all means that are available to the three countries,” he added.

Asked whether Islamabad had issued any “warning” to Tehran regarding Houthis as the Saudi deputy foreign minister linked the two, the DG ISPR stressed that Pakistan had been engaging with all parties involved, including Iran, “with the singular intent of restraint and to reduce the temperatures”.

The military spokesperson reiterated that “all interactions and all conversations with the parties are based on dialling down the escalation”.

Speaking further about the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Lt Gen Chaudhry noted, “You have seen a sinusoidal sort of pattern in this conflict, that it does down and then the agent of chaos starts and they come into play and take the entity up.”

He contended that such escalations will not “resolve this conflict”.

“Whether you expand it to Houthis, whether you expand it to other places, it doesn’t serve anything. It only serves those who are interested in chaos in the region.”

The DG ISPR added: “But at the same time, […] Pakistan is giving very strong signals that this collective deterrence is at play, has already been actualised and we will take all necessary steps for the security and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Haramain Sharifain (The Two Holy Mosques).”

He remarked that the “message is going to everyone, whether he is in front or he is behind” the escalation.

Regarding reports linking the alliance’s formation to the need to deter Iran or Israel, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the pact was not “country-specific” and did not have any “offensive intent”.

However, he added: “It is [formed] to have peace, stability and security in the region. So any actor which threatens that peace, stability and security, it automatically interacts with this collective deterrence mechanism.”

Regarding the threats to maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, the DG ISPR noted that Riyadh had established a multinational maritime defence coalition, with a Pakistani naval officer serving as its deputy commander.

‘We need to stop attacking each other’

Asked about his message to Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world, Lt Gen Chaudhry said Muslims “need to unite”. He emphasised that there was no advantage “to these countries, any country, by vertically or horizontally escalating these conflicts”.

“We need to stop attacking each other,” he maintained, highlighting that Pakistan had been trying to convey the same to all parties since the US-Iran war erupted.

“If we are unable to come to a negotiated outcome and we turn into a military conflict, then this instrument of collective deterrence of the Makkah alliance will definitely come into play, as it is coming into play,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

On scepticism raised about the Makkah pact, the DG ISPR remarked that the sceptics were “only those who have a problem with this alliance, so it’s their job to do this criticism”.

“It’s not suddenly out of the blue that they have decided. The relations go way back,” he stressed. He further termed it “phenomenal” how the alliance has evolved “in a very short period of time”.

Regarding the expansion of the alliance, the military spokesperson maintained that the door remains open to other countries that believe in the principle of collective deterrence and share the member states’ goals related to regional security and stability.

Asked about reports of Egypt and Syria’s interest in joining, he stated such decisions rest with the political, strategic and military leadership of the three countries.

Earlier this month, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye convened an emergency meeting under the Makkah Defence Alliance and agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom.

While the statement did not specifically name any threat, the development came against the backdrop of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The Makkah defence pact, signed on Aug 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

On Sept 18, the DG ISPR said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security is “unconditional”. At the same time, Pakistan also stresses that the alliance is intended for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday stressed the need for continued dialogue and diplomacy in a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as regional tensions persisted amid the US-Iran conflict and renewed fighting in Yemen.

The Foreign Office said the two ministers discussed the evolving regional situation as well as the ongoing meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad.

Mr Dar “underscored the importance of continued dialogue and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges”, the FO said, adding that the two sides agreed to remain in close contact.

Mr Dar also held a telephone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and exchanged views on recent regional developments.

The ministers strongly condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their solidarity with the kingdom as well as support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. They also discussed cooperation under the Regional Four (R-4) framework comprising Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. The two ministers looked forward to the next R-4 meeting to coordinate further on regional issues.

Iran rejects ‘threats’

Meanwhile, Mr Arag­hchi told the OIC meeting in Baghdad that Iran “does not accept coercion, threats, or intimidation” by the US and “will not relinquish its sovereign rights under pressure”. “But it remains ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and credible guarantees,” he added. Speaking to the media in Baghdad, Mr Araghchi said Iran’s offer to reopen the strategic waterway within seven days remained on the table.

“Our situation is clear and based on the seven-day proposal presented to the US. They shared comments which we are reviewing, but our proposal is still on the table,” Mr Araghchi said.

He said that if the US showed “honesty”, the path towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz was clear. Iran’s conditions incl­ude lifting the US blockade on its ports, removing sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities across regional fronts. Mr Araghchi added that if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions, the strait could reopen within six days, followed by the resumption of talks the next day.

US warned

Iran’s newly appointed defence minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi warned that any renewed US military attack would cause “enormous damage” to Washington and its regional allies.

“People can rest assured that they will most likely not dare to attack us,” Mr Akhlaghi told reporters shortly after securing parliament’s vote of confidence. “If they do, they themselves and the region will suffer enormous damage,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026

Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said two officers were killed when their helicopter crashed near the Yemen border, after the rebel group claimed it shot the aircraft down.

The coalition blamed a “technical malfunction” for the helicopter crash, which inflicted its first military fatalities since the long-running conflict with the Houthis reignited in July.

The incident comes a week after strikes by the Houthis killed 13 people at Riyadh’s international airport, the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the Saudi Ministry of National Guard crashed “inside Saudi territory in Najran Region due to a technical malfunction”, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

“The accident resulted in the martyrdom of its aircrew, consisting of two officers.”

Late on Saturday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had “downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi enemy” in the same area.

Egypt ready to give ‘all necessary and possible forms of support’

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had requested an urgent parliament session to authorise the military, one of the region’s largest and most powerful, to help defend Saudi Arabia if the kingdom requested its support.

“Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

It followed a meeting of Egypt’s National Defence Council chaired by Sisi and attended by the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister and the army chief.

A parliamentary vote had been expected on authorising the request for military support on Sunday, but discussions were due to continue on Monday, two lawmakers and local media reports said.

Sisi said in a speech on Saturday that Egypt would act in accordance with guidance from Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited Sisi on Sept 15, after fighting in Yemen reignited.

Dar, Egypt FM condemn Houthi attacks

On the diplomatic front, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

“The two leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments and strongly condemned the Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their full solidarity with the Kingdom and support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.”

They also discussed cooperation under the R-4 (Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia) framework and looked forward to the next meeting of the R-4 soon to further strengthen mutual ties and to coordinate on the regional issues, the statement added.

The foreign ministers of the four countries last met on Sept 21 in New York, where they had reaffirmed their support for Riyadh’s sovereignty and supported its right to self-defence.

Pakistan, which has signed two defence agreements with Riyadh, has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

The first one, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), was signed in Sept 2025, under which the two countries pledged that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

The two countries are also parties to the Makkah Defence Alliance, which also includes Turkiye. The pact was signed on August 7 and provides that an attack on one member state would be treated as an attack on all.

Yemen fighting

After an uneasy, four-year truce, Yemen’s conflict has surged back to life, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July.

The conflict intensified when Houthis captured territory around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea chokepoint and vital export route for Saudi oil since Iran blockaded the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have also hit Saudi targets including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

On the other hand, the Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognised government has launched repeated air raids on Houthi territory.

The coalition said overnight that it intercepted two drones in the Riyadh area and a third over the oil-rich Eastern Province. Saudi authorities had earlier issued a threat alert in the capital.

Two ballistic missiles “launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait” were intercepted in the kingdom’s south, the coalition added.

On Saturday, the Houthis reported that Saudi strikes killed 12 people in Yemen, including three children.

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged on Saturday that Egypt was ready to help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi forces if requested, as fighting intensified across the region and Cairo moved towards possible parliamentary authorisation for support.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, Sisi said Egypt was “not looking for a role to play” in regional conflicts but that it was “inconceivable” for Cairo to stand by while Saudi Arabia was “harmed or its security and stability threatened”.

“Egypt, of course, with the directives of His Majesty King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will carry out any measure to protect you or defend you,” Sisi said.

He said any deployment would require parliamentary approval and expressed hope lawmakers would convene in an emergency session to authorise support “if it is requested of us”.

“I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” Sisi said. “We are speaking only about defence.”

Egyptian state media later reported that parliament would hold an emergency session on Sunday at Sisi’s request to consider possible support for Saudi defences.

Egypt joined the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen in 2015, though its role has largely focused on securing Red Sea shipping routes rather than frontline combat. The renewed conflict also threatens Egypt’s economic interests, particularly Suez Canal revenues.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said last month that the Suez Canal had lost about $11 billion in revenue since the Houthis began attacking commercial vessels in 2023.

During a visit to Egypt last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sisi called for free and secure navigation in the Red Sea. Egypt has not joined the Makkah agreement, a mutual defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan in August, and has said it is studying the agreement.

Sisi also said on Saturday that his presidential term would end in 2030 and proposed a 30-month training programme at the Egyptian Military Academy to prepare potential future leaders.

He said a committee would develop selection criteria and legislation for the programme, which would target PhD holders from reputable Egyptian and foreign universities.

Iran, meanwhile, backed a political solution to the Saudi-Houthi conflict and renewed its offer to mediate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi repeated Iran’s offer to mediate between the two sides.

Araghchi said on Saturday at the Organ­isation of Islamic Coope­ration in Baghdad that Tehran supported an “incl­usive and comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve the issue”.

Araghchi also said, “Either we build security together, or we will endure insecurity together,” adding that Iran was willing to cooperate with its neighbours. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis’ recent escalation, a charge Tehran denies.

The fighting continued on Saturday, with Saudi Arabia saying it intercepted four drones over Riyadh, the Eastern Province and the south.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the drones were “intercepted and destroyed” as the kingdom faced repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on oil installations, tankers and airports.

Houthi-affiliated med­ia, meanwhile, said Saudi air strikes beginning overnight killed at least 12 people in Yemen, including three children. It said strikes on “civilian homes” in Taiz killed nine people and wounded 16, while attacks in Dhamar killed three children and wounded 17.

The Houthi news agency also alleged that Saudi forces used cluster bombs. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately comment on that claim.

The renewed war in Yemen has intensified since July. The Houthis have attacked Saudi energy facilities, vessels and Riyadh’s international airport, where 13 people were killed last week.

The Houthis have also seized territory around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, increasing pressure on Red Sea shipping and energy exports.

Separately, the Houthis announced the release of 159 pro-government fighters under an amnesty after their recent territorial gains. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed the release and said it helped with interviews, health checks, family contacts and transportation.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi targets, including energy facilities and Riyadh’s international airport, where 13 people were killed in a major attack last week.

“We support an inclusive and comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve the issue,” Araghchi said in a speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad.

Araghchi repeated Iran’s offer to mediate between the two sides. Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh previously said Riyadh has not responded to Iran’s overture.

On Friday, Iran denied having anything to do with the Houthi attacks, after Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of encouraging the group’s escalation.

In his speech, Araghchi also said “either we build security together, or we will endure insecurity together,” adding that Tehran was willing “to cooperate with all its brothers and neighbours to achieve the first option”.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers after a truce in their long-running war with Yemen’s coalition government unravelled in July.

On Wednesday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had targeted facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco, after Saudi officials reported a strike on a building in Riyadh housing the energy giant’s operations centre.

Powerful explosions also rattled the Saudi capital, as the coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted a missile fired by the group towards Riyadh.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, targeting fuel and energy facilities it said were being used to support missile and drone attacks, as the Yemeni group threatened a “harsh and painful” response against Saudi airports, refineries and oil installations.

Hours later, Saudi authorities issued warnings of potential hostile aerial threats in the kingdom’s eastern province and Riyadh.

Loud explosions were heard near Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, according to witnesses. Later, a Saudi energy ministry official confirmed the attack. Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said that four people — two women, a man and a child — were wounded by debris from two intercepted Houthi cruise missiles in the capital and that 15 homes were damaged.

Sisi, 71, a former army general who became president in 2014, made the remarks at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy in the New Administrative Capital, one of his flagship megaprojects.

Speaking to graduates and state officials in the sprawling new city east of Cairo, Sisi said the Egyptian constitution “would not be touched”.

“The period leading up to 2030 will be the end of my term as president of the state, if I am still alive. This is completely settled and there will be no discussion about it,” he said.

The Egyptian constitution, approved in 2014 following the 2013 military ouster of late president Mohamed Morsi, originally limited presidents to two four-year terms.

Constitutional amendments approved in a 2019 referendum extended presidential terms from four to six years and included transitional provisions that allowed Sisi to run for an additional term.

Under those amendments, Sisi was re-elected in 2023 for a six-year term that is due to expire in 2030.

Critics and opposition figures have speculated about the possibility of further constitutional changes that could allow him to remain in office beyond 2030.

Before running for president, Sisi denied having political ambitions, but he resigned from his position as defence minister in 2014 and entered the race he went on to win.

On Saturday, he said the run-up to 2030 would be used to groom a new generation of leaders, with the Military Academy training hundreds of prospective officials, ministers and presidential candidates in statecraft and leadership.

During his 12 years in power, Sisi has overseen an ambitious state-led development programme centred on megaprojects which critics say have relied heavily on borrowing and contributed to Egypt’s mounting debt burden and economic pressures.

Sisi’s presidency has also faced sustained criticism from international human rights organisations over restrictions on political opposition, civil society and freedom of expression, allegations the government rejects, saying its policies are necessary to preserve stability and security.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump once again predicted a swift end to the war with Iran, and a sharp drop in oil prices once the conflict concludes, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that military action cannot force them into submission.

“The Iran war will end very soon … Soon, as they want it to end,” Trump told reporters in Montana. “They’ll never have a nuclear weapon, and oil prices will drop like a rock.”

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump also expressed uncertainty over which Ira­nian officials the US was negotiating with.

“They don’t have a navy. They don’t have an air force. Their army is decimated. Their leaders are gone,” Trump said. “I should have probably left their leaders because I don’t know who the hell we’re negotiating with.”

“Iran was the bully of the Middle East,” he said, adding that the country was no longer as powerful as it had been.

Trump also claimed that US strikes had destroyed Iran’s naval fleet and rendered its military aircraft unusable. He said Iran had 159 ships and asserted that none remained operational, while also claiming that its fighter jets had been destroyed on the country’s runways.

‘Iran won’t submit to force’

Meanwhile in Tehran, President Pezeshkian warned that military action cannot force a country into submission, adding that his country “must find a way to strengthen national cohesion and unity”, Al Jazeera reported.

He said that the country was facing its most intense blockade since the 1979 Revolution, accusing the United States of seeking to provoke public protests.

“Over the 48 years since the Revolution, we have never faced such intense blockade, war and difficulties as we are facing now,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast by state television.

He accused Washington of seeking to make life difficult for Iranians to fuel public anger and trigger unrest. Pezeshkian said the US was focusing its efforts on making “the people become upset and face difficulties, and then for social protests to emerge so that they can achieve their sinister objectives”.

‘Mother Of All Bombs’

Meanwhile, the US is considering using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb — better known by its nickname, the “Mother Of All Bombs” — against Iran if Trump decides to renew combat in the deadlocked war, CNN reported on Thursday.

The military is planning for the potential use of the weapon to target Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, according to the news outlet, which quoted officials familiar with the matter.

“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a source familiar with the plans told CNN. “It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”

Trump is trying to boost his low approval ratings ahead of November’s midterm elections, with polls showing the unpopular war in Iran and the fuel and other price rises it has caused are hurting his Republican Party.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been at an impasse since the summer, and Washington has in recent weeks dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.

However, officials have raised doubts over the efficacy of the bomb if deployed, particularly its ability to destroy suspected underground nuclear sites in Iran, as well as concerns over possible civilian casualties from such a huge weapon.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2026

“Iran continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of UN security council resolutions,” Dr Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at the foreign ministry, said during a virtual briefing with reporters.

“We think that the escalation by the Houthis at this latest stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran,” he later said.

The official said the kingdom however remained in communication with Iran, even if Tehran appeared unwilling to offer concessions.

“We continue to have direct communications with Iran,” Krimly told reporters.

“Overall, it doesn’t seem yet that the Iranians are able to provide the necessary concessions for a solution.”

The official went on to accuse the Houthis of refusing to meet in Oman in recent weeks as fighting ramped up between the two sides.

“At the beginning of this escalation, we asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman and they refused,” he added.

“This was the last communication which happened a few weeks ago.”

The world’s top crude oil exporter has in recent days come under sustained attack, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that was the deadliest in years, as the war with the Houthis dramatically escalates.

Yemen’s civil war reignited in July after a UN-brokered truce collapsed, months into a wider Middle East war that has rocked the region and roiled energy supplies and markets.

The conflict in the country has caused what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, leaving most of the nation’s population dependent on aid.

The Saudi-led coalition has fought the Houthis since 2015 after they seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa and forced out the internationally recognised government from the city, until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022.

Saudi-led coalition says Houthis attempted to attack dozens of Saudi facilities

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that the Houthis had attempted to attack dozens of Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said at a press conference that the Houthis had launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, killing 17 people and wounding 333 others.

The coalition also said Houthi attacks on Abha airport, in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, had killed three people and wounded 28.

Maliki said the Houthis had acquired advanced military technology with the help of “regional actors,” including ballistic missiles, drones and explosive-laden fast boats.

The spokesperson also said the coalition had destroyed 127 weapons storage facilities and launch platforms in Yemen’s mountainous areas.

He called on the Houthis to immediately halt operations targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and said the group should read the coalition’s statement carefully and “between the lines”.

Shortly after the coalition’s statement, the Houthi military spokesperson said Saudi airspace and airports were unsafe, renewing a warning to airlines while excluding airspace over the holy cities of Makkah and Madina.

The military is planning for the potential use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb — better known by its nickname, the “Mother Of All Bombs” — to target Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, according to the news outlet, which quoted officials familiar with the matter.

Trump is trying to boost his low approval ratings ahead of November’s midterm elections, with polls showing the unpopular war in Iran and fuel and other price rises it has caused are hurting his Republican Party.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have been at an impasse since the summer.

But officials have raised doubts over the efficacy of the bomb if it were deployed, particularly its ability to destroy suspected underground nuclear sites in the Islamic republic.

“The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,” a source familiar with the plans told CNN.

“It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.”

The United States and Israel have said the war was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — a goal Tehran has long denied pursuing.

There are also concerns over the possibility of civilian casualties from such a huge weapon.

Washington has in recent weeks dialed back military operations in favour of economic pressure.

AFP has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

In 2017, the US military in Afghanistan dropped the “MOAB” to target Islamic State group hideouts in a complex of tunnels and bunkers, killing more than 90 militants.