Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

The State Department is reducing staffing at four US embassies in the Middle East after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere. In a memo sent Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said his teams "have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel." "The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," Clayton wrote. The memo was obtained by The Associated Press and reported earlier by Axios. Three US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that the memo was sent to Rubio in his capacity as secretary of state and national security adviser. The memo emerged shortly after the State Department announced it is reducing staff at the US embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and

An intelligence memo cited by Axios says Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US diplomats and officials in West Asia, while US has ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Saudi Arabia

Brent crude rose 1.2% to $110.11 a barrel and US WTI gained 1% to $98.12 after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia killed three people and prompted Washington to order some diplomats' families to leave

Iran's IRGC Navy said the four ships had crossed an "illegal route" despite warnings, while three other vessels struck mines in the western Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night

The New York Times reported that US and Israeli militaries have prepared plans for a short, intensive operation targeting Iran's energy, nuclear and missile facilities, as Tehran warns of retaliation

The conflict has highlighted the world's heavy reliance on the strategic waterway, through which ‌a fifth of global oil and liquefied ​natural gas trade previously passed

Araghchi slammed Trump's post endorsing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the upcoming elections, stating that the last time the US gave such an ultimatum, Iran emerged 'even stronger'

Two missiles struck the airport in Yemen's port city of Aden on Friday night, police said, blaming Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the second such attack in less than a week. Police said no casualties were reported as fighting escalates in the latest front in the Iran war, one in which the rebels have attacked both neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Yemen's internationally recognized government that's backed by the kingdom. A security official and a traffic controller said an area of the Aden airport that hosts a military unit aligned with the Saudi-backed government was hit. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack came a day after the Houthis carried out a deadly strike on a palace complex in Aden, which has been the seat of the internationally recognized government since 2015.

Trump calls Israel's support for Saudi Arabia 'very helpful' and says Riyadh could join the Abraham Accords, as regional hostilities escalate

Air India on Friday said it has extended the cancellation of flights to Saudi Arabia till October 20 amid escalating tensions in the region due to the attacks on the Gulf country by Houthis. Earlier, the airline as well as Air India Express had cancelled flights to Saudi Arabia till October 17. "In view of the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia, all Air India flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah stand cancelled until 20 October 2026," Air India said in a post on X. The airline also said it was closely monitoring developments and continuously assessing the situation to ensure the safe resumption of operations. "Passengers affected by these cancellations are being offered a full refund," it added. IndiGo, on Thursday, announced extending the cancellation of flights to Saudi Arabia till October 24. On Thursday, Akasa Air said that in view of the prevailing security situation in the Middle East, it has extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh until October 2

Oil prices retreat after WTI hit a 3-week high, as attacks on shipping near Hormuz raise supply concerns while Washington weighs easing sanctions on vessels to curb petroleum transport costs

The latest attack on the international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, civil aviation authorities said early Sunday, with some in critical condition. A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. It was the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war, whose fronts have expanded to include the recent surge in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. A missile struck a King Khalid International Airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, a regional official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media. The Saudi statement said the dead included four Saudi citizens as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It said the injured were being treated at several hospitals. Trump said he would consider

CENTCOM said the cargo vessel had attempted ‌to transit regional waters after leaving an Iranian port

The latest action was aimed at cutting off revenue used by the Iranian regime and targeting those facilitating Iran's oil sales and sanctions evasion

Two attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen killed three people Wednesday, Saudi officials said, as the kingdom was pulled deeper into the latest front in the Iran war. The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation did not blame any party for the attacks at Abha and Riyadh's King Khalid international airports, but Houthi rebels took credit earlier for the airport strikes. The attack on Abha airport killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and wounded 28 other people, while the attack on King Khalid airport killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight other people, officials said. As Riyadh has been targeted over the past week, new cage-like fences have been erected around fuel tanks and other equipment of the Saudi state-run Aramco oil company near the capital's airport. The kingdom, the world's top oil exporter, has seen oil and military assets targeted in recent days, posing a threat to crucial shipping alternative to the Strai

US CENTCOM said that commercial and energy traffic, including 20 million barrels of crude oil, continues to move through the Strait of Hormuz as Iran warns some transit routes could be closed

Brent crude rises to $101.53 a barrel as attacks on tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz intensify, raising concerns over supply risks despite plans to release emergency oil stocks