War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Oil prices have jumped more than five per cent, later paring gains after President Donald Trump said the US will not launch an attack on Iran before midterm congressional elections in November, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures are up $3.48, or 3.5pc, at $103.73 a barrel as of 1641 GMT (9:41pm PKT). US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude has gained $2.69, or 3.1pc, to $91.

The United States has imposed sanctions targeting “the remnants of Iran’s shadow fleet” of tankers used to transport oil products to foreign markets — the latest move to ramp up pressure in its war against Tehran, AFP reports.

“Today’s action effectively neutralises the vast majority of Iran’s remaining shadow fleet network,” the US Treasury Department says in a statement.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the aim is to deprive Tehran of funds needed to “wage war in the region”.

Seventeen vessels have been targeted, which are said to have moved millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, alongside petroleum and petrochemical products, to markets across South and East Asia.

The Treasury Department has designated the companies that own these vessels, accusing them of operating in the petroleum or petrochemical sectors of the Iranian economy.

The US embassy in Riyadh has instructed American nationals to exercise heightened vigilance amid Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital.

“The Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including against civilian airports, and the military conflict has the potential to escalate. US citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions,” an advisory reads.

US nationals have been urged against traveling near Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen, and to directly confirm flight departure status with the airline and the airport.

“US government employees working in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border due to safety risks and need special authorisation for travel to the provinces of Jizan, Asir, Najran, and the cities of Qatif, Yanbu, and Taif,” the advisory reads.

It further adds that US government employees now require special authorisation to use Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.  

President Donald Trump says that Washington will not strike Iran prior to the US midterm elections on November 3, calling talks with Tehran “productive”.

“I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition … we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd,” he writes on Truth Social.

Trump reiterates his claim that Iran has been defeated “economically and militarily” and says the US naval blockade will remain in place.

He further claims that oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in “record numbers” with 22 million barrels only last night.

At least one plane has been severely damaged at Riyadh airport, two sources briefed on the matter tell AFP, hours after multiple explosions were heard across the Saudi capital.

The first source says at least one plane had suffered catastrophic damage, while the second says three planes were struck.

Yemen’s Houthis claim to have targeted Riyadh’s airport for a third time, hours after the Saudi-led military coalition announced it had intercepted missiles in a previous attack, AFP reports.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says the rebel group launched two missiles at Riyadh’s airport, as well as one at an airport in Najran and another at an airbase in Khamis Mushait.

Major General Ahmad Vahidi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief, warns that the army and naval forces are ready “with crushing weapons to deliver a decisive response to any attempt at unauthorised passage in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Fars News Agency reports.

“No extraregional power has the right to threaten, maintain a domineering presence, or interfere in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf,” he is quoted as saying.

Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16 due to current developments in the Middle East, a spokesperson for the German company tells Reuters.

Iran will not abandon uranium enrichment or hand over its uranium, Reuters reports citing state media, which quotes the head of the country’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Mohammad Eslami.

Dismissing renewed US threats against Iran’s nuclear facilities as “nothing new”, Eslami says enrichment is “an inseparable part” of the nuclear process.

Air India says it has cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until Saturday due to the situation in the region, amid an escalation in Houthi missile attacks against Saudi Arabia’s airports and other infrastructure, Reuters reports.

The Indian embassy in Riyadh has urged Indian nationals to maintain vigilance and stay indoors as necessary, according to an advisory on X.

Urging Indian citizens to follow instructions from local authorities’ official channels, it strongly advises them to “refrain from circulating or reposting any videos or news related to the ongoing events”.

“The Embassy of India, Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah and its outsourced services through VFS are continuing to function normally and will issue updates and advisories as and when necessary,” the statement adds.

US Central Command (Centcom) has briefed international shipping companies on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with emphasis on “building momentum for freedom of navigation as commercial traffic flow increases”.

According to a statement, Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper thanked industry leaders and US government agencies for their support, acknowledging the “sacrifices made by civilian crews due to unwarranted Iranian attacks”.

Iranian Finance Minister Seyed Ali Madani-Zadehsays worsening “inflation and rising prices have caused significant hardship for the people, and the decrease in purchasing power has put a lot of pressure on them”, according to Al Jazeera.

“Measures are being taken, and I hope they will show positive results,” he says without divulging more details, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reports.

Saudi Arabia’s Directorate of Civil Defence (DCD) says that debris from a missile intercepted over Riyadh has caused damage to a medical clinic and a kindergarten.

“Civil Defence teams in Riyadh responded to the fall of ballistic missile shrapnel following the missile’s interception and destruction,” the statement reads. “Standard procedures for such incidents were implemented.”

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

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

Yemen’s Houthis claim to have again targeted Riyadh airport, after the Saudi-led coalition fighting the group said it had intercepted two missiles fired at the kingdom’s capital, AFP reports.

“Our armed forces targeted King Khalid Airport in Riyadh at midday with a ballistic missile that hit its target,” says the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saree.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country is not afraid of threats and is determined to defeat the “economic war” being waged by the US, state news agency IRNA reports.

Pezeshkian says the Iranian people’s determination and unity helped the country withstand US-Israeli aggression, and that the US economic pressure campaign “is less visible but far more arduous and severe than a military war”.

“We are committed to serving the people with all our might and to defeat the enemy’s economic war,” he is quoted as saying.

Saudi-led coalition forces have intercepted a missile which was heading towards the city of Khamis Mushait, in the kingdom’s south, a spokesperson says on X.

A military spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi rebels has warned workers at Saudi oil facilities to avoid sites the group considers targets and has renewed threats of attacks against airlines and airports, Reuters reports.

Saudi-led coalition forces say they have intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards Riyadh, a statement from their spokesperson says.

Smoke has been seen rising from a stationary aircraft at Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports citing a witness and three people briefed on the matter.

The aircraft was believed to be empty at the time, the three people briefed on the matter say.

There is no immediate official confirmation from Saudi authorities on the reported incident.

Oil prices have jumped on persistent worries about supply from the Middle East, amid an increase in attacks on shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures are up $4.55, or 4.54 per cent, at $104.75 a barrel as of 1205 GMT (5:05pm PKT) — the highest in over a week.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude has gained $4, or 4.53pc, to $92.28, its highest since October 2.