al jazeera

By Kristina Harazim and Enes Abuomer

    US President Donald Trump criticises Yemen’s Houthis for “misbehaving very badly” following a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International and Dammam’s King Fahd International.

    Saudi Arabia extends the suspension of operations at King Khalid airport until Saturday after the repeated Houthi attacks, which killed at least 18 people.

    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says a suspected plot targeting RAF base Fairford in England was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) despite Tehran denying responsibility.

Houthi attack hits Taiz hospital, injures at least 1

    Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency reports that a Houthi attack on al-Safwa Hospital in the southwestern city of Taiz has injured at least one person and damaged the facility.

    Saba said the strike early on Tuesday shattered windows, triggering panic and fear among patients and hospital staff.

    The attack came after five people, including three children, were injured during Houthi shelling in the city’s al-Dhahra residential area and the nearby Beer Basha district.

    Taiz remains a major battleground between the Iran-backed Houthis and troops loyal to the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Crude prices drop further, heading for first daily decline in a week

    Oil prices further extended their decline on Tuesday, putting them on track for their first daily drop in nearly a week as traders weigh supply risks from attacks on Saudi Arabia against the prospect of increased Russian diesel exports.

    Brent crude futures fell $1.30, or 1.2 percent, to $105.35 a barrel as of 03:29 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped $1.25, or 1.3 percent, to $92.49.

    Both benchmarks had risen nearly $2 a barrel in the previous session, with Brent settling at its highest level since September 15.

Houthis claim to have shot down Saudi drone over northern Yemen

    Yemen’s Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree says the group’s forces have shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drone over Saada governorate in northern Yemen.

    In a statement, Saree said the aircraft was carrying out “hostile missions” when it was targeted with what he described as an “appropriate weapon”.

Trump says US may have gone ‘too far’ in targeting Iran’s leadership

    Trump has suggested the US may have gone too far in targeting Iran’s leadership, saying Washington is struggling to identify officials with whom it can negotiate.

    “We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with any more,” the US president said at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio.

    “Nobody wants to be the president of Iran,” he added, claiming that potential candidates were unwilling to take the position. Masoud Pezeshkian, however, has been Iranian president since July 2024.

    “We’re having a hard time figuring out who the hell to deal with, to be honest with you. I think we went too far,” Trump said.

    Trump also reiterated his claim that Iran had lost its air force and all 159 of its ships, which he said were now “resting beautifully in the bottom of the sea”.

    His remarks come amid continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has recorded at least 19 attacks on vessels since October 1.

Syria seeks investment in reconstruction, demands end to Israeli military incursions

    Syria’s UN representative, Ibrahim Olabi, has appealed for nations to turn political support into concrete investment to help rebuild the war-torn country.

    In his address to the UN Security Council on Monday, Olabi also demanded respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in reference to Israel’s ongoing military incursions, civilian detentions, and attacks in the country’s south.

    “New Syria will not forget its people and will not compromise on the rights of citizens,” he said.

    “As for those opening fire on civilians and journalists … those who claim to be searching for security should not be killing Syrian citizens within Syrian territory. They should not raid their homes, arrest their sons and enforce their disappearance.”

    He added that Damascus needed international assistance with mine clearance, reconstruction, and the safe return of Syrians to prevent the “remnants of war, terrorism, and Israeli attacks from destroying what they have achieved.”

Trump downplays reports of Russian, Chinese aid to Iran

    Trump has dismissed claims that China and Russia are offering substantial support to Iran, characterising any potential assistance as minimal at most.

    Writing on Truth Social, Trump pushed back against critics, saying he did not believe Moscow or Beijing were aiding Tehran as both had “too much to lose”.

    He added that Washington “would know about it, and know about it very fast” if any assistance was being provided.

IMF forecasts Middle East economic contraction as war disrupts trade

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply downgraded its 2026 growth outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia, forecasting a 0.3 percent contraction compared with the 1.9 percent growth projected six months ago.

    The IMF cited the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to oil production, shipping, and exports caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.

    Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain are expected to experience double-digit economic contractions this year, followed by strong recoveries in 2027 if production and trade routes return to normal.

    The IMF also forecast Iran’s economy shrinking by 7.6 percent. Saudi Arabia’s GDP is expected to contract by 3.3 percent, and the UAE’s by 3.9 percent.

    Oman is the only Gulf country expected to record positive growth this year, at 2.4 percent.

    Despite the downturn, the IMF anticipates a significant regional recovery in 2027, assuming the Strait of Hormuz reopens and oil exports resume.

    Israeli authorities have demolished 80 structures in the Bedouin village of al-Dahiya in the Negev Desert, claiming they were built without permits.

    Rahat’s mayor says the demolitions have displaced about 400 Palestinians, leaving families facing uncertainty over where to find shelter.

UK blames Iran for airbase plot, sanctions two Iranian nationals

    The United Kingdom’s prime minister, Andy Burnham, has said that a suspected plot against a Royal Air Force (RAF) base used by the United States in the town of Fairford was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    The allegation on Monday came as the UK announced sanctions on two Iranians over alleged “hostile activity”, raising the diplomatic stakes over the largely unexplained incident for which Tehran has denied any responsibility.

    “We will not tolerate these threats on our soil,” Burnham told parliament, promising that the government “will crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams”.

    He added that the UK will “bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm”.

    The incident near the airbase in southern England occurred in the early hours of September 27, when five British men in their 20s were arrested on suspected “terrorism” and explosives offences.

Health crisis deepens in Yemen’s Taiz amid ongoing Houthi siege

    Medicine, fuel, and medical supply stocks in the besieged Yemeni city of Taiz have reached critical levels, threatening the lives of roughly 1,110 kidney failure patients and more than 190 people in intensive care, according to a statement issued by the local health office.

    Warning of a looming medical catastrophe, the office said lives hung in the balance and demanded an end to the siege, the opening of supply routes, and secure passage for patients and aid.

    Yemen’s internationally recognised government has warned of an “imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe” in Taiz, saying the Houthis continue their siege and obstruct access to essential supplies.

Gaza Civil Defence warns of deepening humanitarian crisis as Israel pushes beyond ‘Yellow Line’

    Gaza’s Civil Defence agency says it is deeply concerned about the escalating rate of repeated forced displacement of Palestinians in the vicinity of the “Yellow Line”, a demarcation boundary for the withdrawal of Israel’s occupying troops established during the October 2025 “ceasefire”.

    In a statement, the agency said an increase in “massive explosions” and “indiscriminate gunfire” by Israeli forces has damaged hundreds of displaced people’s tents and compromised the structural integrity of many previously targeted homes in the area.

    The “continuation of this Israeli aggression has exacerbated the suffering of thousands of displaced persons, forcing them to seek new shelters and exposing them to the risk of their homes collapsing due to structural cracks”, it said.

    Israel has expanded its military occupation in Gaza into an ever-smaller share of the besieged territory, with nearly two-thirds now under Israeli military control or subject to access restrictions.

    The Civil Defence appealed for urgent intervention to “halt this war against the civilian population”.

Trump says Iran wants deal but ‘doesn’t know how’

    Trump says Tehran wants to reach a deal with Washington but doesn’t know how to do so.

    “They want to make a deal, but they don’t know how to. They don’t know how to,” the US president said at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio.

    Trump reiterated that the US could not allow Iran, which he described as “the number one state sponsor of terror”, to acquire a nuclear weapon.

    “Right now, they have no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft, they have the worst inflation of any country anywhere in the world, they have no money,” he said.

    Trump also predicted that oil prices would fall sharply, saying, “Oil is going to be dropping like a rock.”

    His remarks came as he campaigned ahead of the November 3 congressional mid-term elections.

Oil prices edge lower after surging nearly $2

    Oil prices slipped on Tuesday, pulling back after a near-$2 rally in the previous session as market participants weighed potential supply disruptions from attacks in Saudi Arabia against the prospect of increased Russian diesel exports.

    Brent crude futures were down 61 cents, or 0.57 percent, at $106.04 a barrel as of 00:00 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 47 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $93.27.

    The dip follows Monday’s session, when Brent crude settled at $106.65 a barrel, marking its highest finish since September 15.

Etihad cancels flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah

    Etihad Airways says it has cancelled multiple flights between Abu Dhabi and the Saudi cities of Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh, due to the ongoing regional disruption, according to its website.

    All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were cancelled until Monday, October 19.

    Services between Abu Dhabi and Dammam were heavily disrupted, with specific flights cancelled on Monday, and all flights suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    The airline warned passengers that the situation remained dynamic and further changes were possible.

Children among 5 injured in Houthi shelling in southwestern Yemen

    Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency reports that at least five civilians, including three children, have been injured following Houthi shelling in the southwestern city of Taiz.

    Medical sources said four members of a single family, including children aged between four and 12, were hurt during attacks in the al-Dhahra area.

    A 30-year-old woman was injured in separate shelling in the nearby Beer Basha district, according to the report.

    Taiz remained a major battleground between the Iran-backed Houthis and troops loyal to the internationally recognised Yemeni government, as both sides claimed recent ground gains.

Qatar Airways ‘temporarily’ suspends flights to two Saudi cities following airport attacks

    Qatar Airways says flights to and from the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Dammam have been temporarily suspended amid ongoing regional tensions.

    In a travel advisory updated on October 12, the airline said it was closely monitoring developments in Saudi Arabia in coordination with relevant authorities.

    The airline urged passengers to check their flight status on its website or mobile app, adding that affected travellers would be contacted directly.

    The suspension comes after repeated attacks on Saudi airports, including King Khalid International in Riyadh and King Fahd International in Dammam.

Air strikes reported in Yemen’s Hodeidah and Amran

    Yemen’s Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reports that four air attacks have targeted the Hodeidah and Amran governorates, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

    The broadcaster said two strikes targeted Kamaran Island, while another hit al-Qanawis district in the Hodeidah governorate.

    A fourth strike targeted Harf Sufyan district in the Amran governorate, according to the report.

    The aftermath of a Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport has raised new concerns over regional security, with injured civilians receiving treatment and several airlines suspending flights.

    Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz visited those injured in the attack, praising their resilience.

    The funeral of Jordanian victim Mahmoud Al Barqawi was held in Amman, Jordan, as the disruption to regional air travel continued, with Gulf Air and Etihad among the airlines suspending services.

    Yemen’s Houthi rebels, meanwhile, released footage of military operations in Marib and warned of a “painful response” if the US intervenes further in the Yemen war.