Top Iranian, Saudi Diplomats Talk by Phone As Violence Escalates
The top diplomats of Iran and Saudi Arabia have spoken by phone to discuss the latest escalations in the region in their first publicly reported contact since the Tehran-aligned Houthi rebels intensified attacks against the kingdom.
The talks were reported by Saudi state media and by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on his Telegram channel.
Araqchi said Tehran is ready to provide any assistance to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Sunni-Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'a-led Iran are long-time bitter rivals for influence in the Middle East.
The Yemen-based Houthi rebel group has been launching deadly strikes against Saudi sites, most recently on the international airport in the capital, Riyadh.
The Houthi movement has warned airlines, shipping companies, aviation personnel, and travelers against using Saudi Arabia’s airports and airspace, describing them as potential targets and a “theater of operations” for its forces.
The warning follows a missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 that killed 13 people and injured 309, according to Saudi authorities and another strike on October 11 that killed one person and injured 11.
Saudi civil aviation authorities reported reported another attack on Dammam airport in the east of the country.
With reporting by Reuters
UN, European And Regional Leaders Condemn Deadly Riyadh Airport Attack
The United Nations, European leaders, and governments across the Middle East and beyond have condemned the October 10 attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 people and injured more than 300.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident and condemned it, saying “attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law.” UN Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg described the incident as a “grave escalation.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the actions of “Iran’s proxies,” warning that they were pushing the region into a “spiral of violence.”
GermanForeign Minister Johann Wadephul described the attack as “a terrorist act against Saudi Arabia and civil aviation,” while British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting called it a “dangerous escalation” and condemned the targeting of civilians.
“Condemnations also came from Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it a “heinous attack" and a “flagrant violation of international law.” Turkey condemned the strike “in the strongest terms.” The United Arab Emirates denounced it as a “flagrant violation” of Saudi sovereignty, while Qatar described it as "a direct threat to regional security, the safety of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and air navigation."
The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The condemnations came as further explosions were reported in the Saudi capital on October 11. Two blasts were heard in Riyadh, according to AFP journalists and three residents. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said air defenses had intercepted a missile near Riyadh airport.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Houthis Threaten More Saudi Airport Strikes As Riyadh Flights Canceled
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has again warned airlines, shipping companies, aviation personnel, and travelers against using Saudi Arabia’s airports and airspace, describing them as potential targets and a “theatre of operations” for its forces.
The warning follows a missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 that killed 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi authorities.
The Houthis had previously warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace on October 5 and repeated the threat on October 8, amid a series of attacks on Riyadh’s airport.
In a statement published on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree reiterated the warning to international carriers, airport employees, and travelers, describing Saudi airports and airspace as potential targets. He exempted airports serving the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, have fought forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, although large-scale fighting eased following a UN-brokered truce in 2022. The latest threats come amid a renewed escalation in the conflict.
The violence has disrupted civilian life and air travel in Saudi Arabia.
Schools across the Saudi capital were reportedly ordered to switch to distance learning from Sunday through Thursday, while the US Embassy introduced restrictions requiring government employees to obtain authorization before using major Saudi airports, including those in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
Flight cancellations continued on October 11 following the closure of King Khalid International Airport.
Figures from the aviation tracker Flightradar24 cited in reports showed 606 flights to and from Riyadh listed as canceled on October 11, including 293 departures and 313 arrivals.
Iran Executes Man Convicted Of Killing Police Officer
Iran has executed a man convicted of killing a police officer during clashes with fuel smugglers in 2022, the judiciary said on October 11, amid a surge in executions since war erupted in February and anti-government protests broke out late last year.
The man, identified in court as Danial, was convicted of deliberately running over officer Reza Ehterami in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported, citing local prosecutor Aref Akbari. Iran's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence.
Iran executes more people annually than any country except China, according to rights groups.
The country's heavily subsidized fuel prices are among the world's lowest, encouraging widespread smuggling to neighboring countries.
With reporting by AFP
US Military Disables Cargo Vessel Departing Iranian Port
The US military said it had disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel's crew ignored warnings and attempted to run the US naval blockade against Iran.
"A US military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as the “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.
CENTCOM said the vessel had departed from an Iranian port and had attempted to transit regional waters.
"All mariners are advised to heed blockade warnings from CENTCOM forces. Crews should also continue to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches," it said.
Trump Condemns Deadly Attack On Saudi Airport, Says US 'May' Join Fight
The United States strongly condemned an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on an airport in Saudi Arabia that killed at least 12 people, including an American, prompting President Donald Trump to suggest that US forces could join with the Saudis to fight the Iran-backed militants.
The third strike this week on Riyadh's Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300 on October 10, according to Saudi authorities, as the Houthi rebels have intensified their drone and missile campaign that they launched in the summer against the kingdom.
When asked by reporters at the White House whether the US would join the Saudi strikes against the Houthis, Trump responded: "We may."
"We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision," Trump said. "We move very quickly."
He later told reporters he "will be speaking" with Saudi Arabian leader Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
"What happened in Saudi Arabia's not acceptable," Trump said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American was killed in the attack and demanded that such strikes cease immediately.
"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now," Rubio wrote on X.
US media have reported that Washington has turned down previous requests by Saudi Arabia for the US to join the military campaign against the Houthis.
The Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government called the attack -- which hit a passenger terminal -- a "war crime" and vowed the coalition "will respond decisively to this terrorist attack."
Since a truce in their long-running war collapsed in July, the Houthis, based in Yemen, have conducted drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia at an unprecedented level, hitting airports, oil facilities, and tankers, even as they fight the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
Yemen’s civil war also erupted in July after the four-year, UN-brokered truce between the government and the rebels fell apart.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Trump May Join Saudis' Fight Against Houthis After 12 Killed In Airport Attack
US President Donald Trump said he will decide “very quickly” whether to join with Saudi Arabia in striking back against Iran-allied Houthi rebels after a deadly missile attack on Riyadh's international airport.
"We may. We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision," Trump told reporters at the White House on October 10. "We move very quickly."
Saudi authorities suspended operations at the airport after a suspected Houthi missile killed at least 12 people and wounded 309 others and forced waiting passengers to flee for safety.
The Saudi aviation officials confirmed that an attack had injured several people at the airport. A diplomatic source attributed it to a Houthi missile, AFP reported.
Health officials declared a rare mass call-up of doctors to deal with the "serious emergency," a medical source told AFP. Foreign embassies warned their citizens to avoid the airport.
Since a truce in their long-running war collapsed in July, the Houthis, based in Yemen, have conducted drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia at an unprecedented level, hitting airports, oil facilities, and tankers.
Yemen’s civil war erupted again in July after the four-year, UN-brokered truce between the government and the rebels fell apart.
Saudi Arabia heads an international coalition that has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government militarily since 2015 and is now being dragged deeper into civil war amid the wider Middle East conflict.
US media have reported that Saudi Arabia has been turned down in its previous requests to Washington for military assistance in dealing with the Houthis.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Yemeni Government Forces Press Offensive Against Houthis Near Bab al-Mandab Strait
Yemeni government forces were advancing against Houthi fighters near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait but had yet to secure the waterway, military sources told AFP on October 10, as fighting in western Yemen killed at least 63 people in 24 hours.
The sources said 35 government troops and 28 Houthi fighters had been killed in clashes around the strait, a vital shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Saudi-backed government launched a counteroffensive last week to reclaim territory seized by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who recently took control of Yemen's western coastline.
The Houthis acknowledged the government assault but said they had repelled it. A military spokesman for the rebel group said its forces had driven back Saudi-backed troops advancing towards the strait.
Government military sources said Mayun Island, in the middle of the strait, remained under Houthi control. Battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
The Saudi-led coalition said it had struck more than 130 Houthi targets early on October 10, while Houthi media reported Saudi air strikes near the strait.
The renewed fighting, which erupted in July after four years of relative calm, has displaced more than 200,000 people, according to UN figures.
The fighting threatens to compound pressure on global energy supplies already strained by the war involving Iran and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, another vital oil transit route.
With reporting by AFP
In New Report, US Accuses Iran Of Recruiting Child Soldiers
The US State Department has placed Iran in the lowest tier in its assessment of government efforts to combat human trafficking, addressing allegations that Tehran recruits children for military and security purposes, including in armed groups operating in the region.
This classification indicates that a government does not fully meet minimum standards for combating human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to meet them.
Previous State Department reports have documented that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary force, and Iran-backed armed groups recruited or used members of other vulnerable groups, including Afghan migrants and refugees, for military purposes.
In March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned an IRGC campaign inviting children as young as 12 to volunteer for activities described as defending the homeland. Advertised duties included cooking, providing medical assistance, distributing supplies, staffing checkpoints, conducting intelligence and operational patrols, and escorting vehicles.
HRW warned that involving children in military or security activities exposed them to serious risks. Although the advertised duties do not establish that every recruit participated in combat, operational and intelligence assignments raise concerns about potential involvement in hostilities.
Separately, reports and images circulating in Iranian media and on social media have also raised concerns about the presence of children among Basij and other security personnel during violent government crackdowns on nationwide protests earlier this year.
Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children under 15 into armed forces or armed groups, or using them to participate actively in hostilities, can constitute a war crime under applicable conditions. Recruitment or use of older minors may also violate international obligations, depending on the circumstances.
How Iranian Operatives Used AI To Publish Fake Stories In US Media
Ervin B. Hoskins, an American freelance journalist, has penned dozens of articles critical of the US war with Iran in recent months.
Published in smaller US media outlets, his provocative articles cast the United States as the aggressor in the ongoing seven-month war, portrayed Israel as an untrustworthy ally, and framed Iran as a defiant underdog.
But Hoskins, it turns out, is not an American reporter. In fact, he doesn't even exist.
Hoskins was among seven fake journalist personas, all purporting to be from the West, that Iranian operatives used to plant articles in media outlets across the world, including the United States.
That is according to OpenAI, which said in an October 8 report that it had shut down an influence operation from Iran that used ChatGPT to secretly push anti-American propaganda.
"We identified almost 100 articles published or syndicated under the operation's bylines across roughly a dozen online outlets around the world," OpenAI said.
To read the full report, click here.