Office workers in the in the Saudi capital have been advised to work remotely “until further notice,” amidst repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels .
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- Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday the Strait of Hormuz would reopen within days if the U.S. complies with the conditions set out in the seven-day ceasefire proposal presented in September, which called for an end to the American naval blockade, lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and a ceasefire on all fronts.
- The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations monitoring agency said at least 10 vessels have been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since last Sunday, a weekly high since war broke out in February, and 23 attacks were recorded since the start of the month, almost double the average.
- Yemen’s foreign minister blasted Iran’s offer to mediate the war between the internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthi militant group. “When Iran’s foreign minister and his officials offer ‘mediation’ in Yemen, they are offering to mediate a war ignited by the coup of the Houthi terrorist militia with their regime’s backing,” she said.
Saudi-led military coalition and Houthis trade strikes amid intensifying conflict
Conflict raged between the Houthis and the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Iran-backed rebel group on Sunday, as both sides traded strikes.
In Riyadh, where intensifying violence has disrupted life for residents, the landmark Kingdom Centre skyscraper ordered “mandatory” remote working for office tenants until further notice. Although a reason for the order wasn’t provided, it followed a security alert and two drone interceptions around the capital city, in addition to a number of attacks by Houthis on Saudi targets in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition, which backs the internationally-recognized government in war-wracked Yemen, has launched repeated air raids on regions of the country that Houthis control. One alleged Saudi airstrike in northern Yemen killed at least nine people and wounded 16 others on Sunday, the Houthis’ Saba news agency reported.
The coalition said Sunday that two pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed in Najran, near the Yemen border, blaming a “technical malfunction” for the incident. The Houthis said they “downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi enemy” in the same area.
Netanyahu says partnership with Trump will help “eliminate Iranian threat”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Trump in multiple social media posts on Sunday, saying his relationship with the U.S. president will help “eliminate the Iranian threat.” His comments came after Mr. Trump endorsed Netanyahu as the Israeli leader seeks reelection in a tight race.
In a video released by his Likud party, Netanyahu called on voters to heed Mr. Trump’s words, assuring them “we have crushed Iran” and adding that their partnership “will continue in order to eliminate the Iranian threat over the next two years, or even sooner.”
Netanyahu also said “Israel has never had a greater friend in the White House” than Mr. Trump, thanking him for his “clarity, courage and unwavering support” as the prime minister vowed to work with the U.S. to “never let Iran’s regime get nuclear weapons.”
6 injured by Houthi strike in southern Saudi Arabia, officials say
Six people in southern Saudi Arabia were injured in a Houthi strike on Sunday, the Saudi Arabian civil defense agency said. The projectile struck a residential section of Najran, a city near the border with Yemen, according to the agency.
“On Sunday, civil defence in the city of Najran responded to the fall of an enemy projectile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia at a residential site, resulting in six citizens being injured and material damage to three homes and three vehicles,” the civil defense said on X.
For weeks, the Iran-backed Houthis have targeted airports and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia on a near-daily basis as fighting between the kingdom and the rebel group has sharply escalated.
Trump endorses Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections
President Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, saying on social media that he “has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
This is a coveted boost for Netanyahu because of Mr. Trump’s popularity but one that the U.S. leader withheld for months as their strategies in the Middle East diverged.
The endorsement carries only as much weight as the credibility of the leader delivering it—and Trump’s standing among Israelis has weakened.
That is why his intervention may prove too little, too late. The issue goes beyond its arrival nine days before Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu is seeking reassurance from a president whose policy reversals have raised questions about his reliability—and who has reportedly expressed serious reservations about Netanyahu himself.
Reuters reports that Israeli public support for Trump has diminished amid disagreements over Iran. For Netanyahu, who has promoted his relationship with the American president as a strategic advantage, that decline presents a problem. A relationship with Washington has less electoral value when voters question what Washington’s promises are worth.
Iran’s new defense minister threatens “enormous damage” if U.S. resumes attacks
Iran’s newly appointed defense minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi threatened to inflict “enormous damage” on the United States and its allies in the Middle East if Washington resumes its military campaign against the country.
“People can rest assured that they will most likely not dare to attack us,” Akhlaghi told reporters shortly after securing the vote of confidence. “If (the U.S.) do, they themselves and the region will suffer enormous damage.”
Iran‘s former defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026, during the opening day of the regional conflict
Office workers at Riyadh skyscraper told to stay home
Office workers in the Kingdom Center skyscraper in Saudi Arabia’s capital have been advised to work remotely “until further notice,” amidst repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the country.
“Kindly refrain from attending the offices during this period,” the office management said in an email to tenants seen by Agence France-Presse news agency.
At a height of 992 feet and 99 storeys, the Kingdom Center skyscraper is an icon of Riyadh’s skyline. The mall at the foot of the building remains open.
Saudi military intercepts 2 ballistic missiles, official says
Residents in the Saudi capital of Riyadh received a mobile phone alert early Sunday morning local time warning of a “hostile aerial threat,” Agence France-Presse journalists reported, after days of attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.
“Warning. The area is under a hostile aerial threat. Please remain calm, stay indoors or in a safe place away from windows and doors,” read the alert, which was lifted a few minutes later.
Col. Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesperson for a Saudi-led military coalition that supports Yemen’s internationally-recognized government, later posted on X that Saudi Arabia had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles that were fired by the Houthis toward the city of Khamis Mushait in southwest Saudi Arabia, as well as a drone that was fired at Riyadh. Iran, funds, arms and trains the Houthi rebels and several IRGC officers are reportedly directing the Houthis in Sanaa
President Sisi says Egypt ready to defend Saudi Arabia “if requested”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday said Egypt was ready to defend Saudi Arabia “if requested,” as fighting flares between the kingdom and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Since Yemen’s war reignited in July, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi targets, including energy facilities and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, where 13 people were killed in a single attack last Saturday.
The Houthis have also blockaded the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-flagged tankers, piling pressure on energy exports as Iran presses its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
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 added 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,” he said.
He added any deployment would require parliamentary approval and said he hoped lawmakers would convene in an emergency session to grant authorization “if it is requested of us.”
“I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” Sisi said. “We are speaking only about defense.”
Iran’s president denies nuclear ambitions, says country ready for talks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied Friday that Tehran sought nuclear weapons, expressed readiness for dialogue and condemned U.S. sanctions during talks with Georgia’s prime minister.
According to IAEA Iran enriched about 970 lbs of Uranium at 60 % enough to make about 15 nuclear bombs when further enriched to 90 % . Nuclear power plants usually require enrichment of up to 4 % . Under Iran’s political structure, major policy decisions rest with Iran’s Supreme Leader rather than the elected president alone
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