Saudi King Salman has condemned Yemen’s Houthi movement as a “terrorist militia” following an attack that Saudi authorities said targeted the holy city of Makkah.
Saudi Arabia condemns Houthis as Iran signals possible Hormuz reopening
RIYADH/NEW YORK: Saudi King Salman has condemned Yemen’s Houthi movement as a “terrorist militia” following an attack that Saudi authorities said targeted the holy city of Makkah.
In a statement reported by the official Saudi Press Agency, King Salman praised the kingdom’s armed forces and security services for defending the country and condemned what he described as an attempt by the Houthis to target Makkah.
He called the alleged attack a provocation to Muslims around the world. Saudi Arabia has said it intercepted a Houthi drone near Makkah during the recent escalation.
The development came as regional tensions intensified, with fighting in Yemen, attacks on Saudi territory and disruptions to major energy and shipping routes.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Middle East situation during a phone call on Tuesday.
According to the Kremlin, the two leaders discussed Gulf security and the need to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. They also stressed the importance of a political and diplomatic settlement and called for a swift end to hostilities in Yemen.
US open to meeting Iran at UN, Rubio says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was open to talks with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, although no meeting had been scheduled.
“We’re open to that,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC’s Today programme, adding that any meeting should have the potential to produce a positive outcome.
He reiterated that the US objective was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have criticised the US over visa restrictions affecting members of an Iranian media delegation travelling to New York.
Iran’s presidential office public relations official described the reported visa denials as a violation of media protections and accused Washington of seeking to prevent coverage of Iran’s position.
Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days
An unnamed Iranian official told Japan’s Kyodo News that Tehran had offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington took initial steps to ease military pressure.
The proposal was reportedly conveyed to the US through mediators and calls for renewed negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent end to hostilities.
The official ruled out a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly, saying Washington would first need to demonstrate seriousness and commitment to diplomacy.
Reuters separately reported that Iran had signalled a willingness to reopen the strategic waterway if US pressure and restrictions were eased.
Saudi strikes reported to kill 11 in Yemen
Houthi sources said Saudi airstrikes in Yemen’s Al-Jawf province killed 11 people, including two civilians and nine detainees.
According to the Houthi health ministry, a woman and her child were killed in strikes in the Al-Batin area of Al-Hazm, while her husband and two other children were wounded.
A separate strike on a prison reportedly killed nine detainees, according to Houthi official Abdelkader al-Murtada.
The claims have been reported by AFP based on statements from Houthi authorities.
Separately, Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency reported that Saudi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mokha killed six civilians, including two children and a woman, and wounded eight others. The claims could not be independently verified.
Military sources from both sides also told AFP that 154 people had been killed during two days of fighting in several Yemeni provinces. Houthi sources reported 118 deaths, while government sources reported 36 fatalities among their forces.
Iran Air says regional flights continue
Iran’s national carrier, Iran Air, said it had not received official instructions from aviation authorities in Türkiye, Azerbaijan or Iraq to suspend flights to Istanbul, Baku or Najaf.
The statement came a day before new US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector were expected to take effect.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said Washington intended to shut down the operations of Iranian commercial airlines worldwide from September 23 and warned that international aviation hubs dealing with Iranian carriers could face restrictions affecting access to the US financial system.
China criticised the threatened measures, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun saying Beijing opposed unilateral sanctions that lacked a basis in international law or authorisation from the UN Security Council.
Pezeshkian says Iran will present its position at UN
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian travelled to New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, saying his delegation would present Iran’s position at international forums.
Pezeshkian said Iran would raise issues concerning what Tehran describes as oppression, attacks and violations against its people.
He also argued that Iran had previously entered negotiations and signed agreements that were not honoured.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the main objective of his visit was to defend what he called the legitimacy, rights and interests of the Iranian people.
Araghchi also criticised the United Nations, saying public trust in the organisation had declined because of what he described as its failure to maintain international peace and security.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei separately accused Washington of trying to shift responsibility for rising fuel prices and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz onto Tehran. His comments reflected Iran’s official position and were not independently established as fact.
Saudi Arabia restarts East-West oil pipeline
Saudi Arabia has restarted operations at its East-West oil pipeline after it was shut down following drone attacks on September 13.
Three sources told Reuters that the pipeline was initially operating at a low rate, with crude exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu expected to resume.
The pipeline provides Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for transporting crude that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC says Iran ready for war and negotiations
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran was fully prepared for a prolonged conflict but could also negotiate if its national interests required it.
He described negotiations as another form of confrontation involving diplomatic arguments and political methods.
Mohebbi said decisions on war and negotiations were made within Iran’s political system and under the authority of the country’s leadership.
Iranian Navy commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani separately said any aggression against Iranian national interests would receive what he described as a firm and appropriate response.
The IRGC spokesman also claimed that a test involving a new Iranian weapon against a US aircraft carrier had been successful and warned that Iran could deploy additional weapons if further aggression occurred. The claim was reported by Iranian state media and could not be independently verified.
G7 calls on Iran to stop supporting Houthis
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven called on Iran to end what they described as its arming and support of the Houthis.
The G7 also called on the Houthi movement to stop military actions and attacks or threats against civilian shipping and return to the political process.
The statement came as Houthi attacks and fighting in Yemen raised concerns over international shipping and energy supplies.
US considers $10bn Gulf energy reconstruction fund
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US was considering a $5 billion contribution to a multinational fund aimed at repairing Gulf energy infrastructure damaged during the conflict with Iran.
The report said eight Middle Eastern countries could provide another $5 billion, potentially creating a $10 billion fund.
The initiative would also seek to support alternative energy export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
US and regional officials stressed that discussions remained ongoing and that the terms could change.
France seeks UN resolution on Strait of Hormuz
France is working on a UN Security Council resolution aimed at guaranteeing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a diplomatic source cited by AFP.
France has also sought cooperation with India on maintaining navigation through Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot discussed the issue with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and separately welcomed Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.
Macron and Trump discuss Hormuz and Red Sea
French President Emmanuel Macron said he and US President Donald Trump discussed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and increase shipping through the waterway.
The two leaders also discussed Red Sea security, Ukraine and energy issues linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Macron said there was a shared desire to reopen Hormuz and restore the flow of goods and energy through the waterway.
EU seeks more warships for Red Sea mission
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the European Union’s Aspides naval mission needs more than 10 warships and additional air assets to deal with the growing threat to shipping in the Red Sea.
The mission currently has around six warships operating in the region.
Kallas said Houthi attacks were affecting European interests and global supply chains, while calling for additional contributions from EU member states.
UK agrees to provide Saudi air-refuelling support
Britain has agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with limited defensive air-to-air refuelling support following a request from Riyadh.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK would deploy an RAF Voyager aircraft in the coming days. The arrangement is time-limited and will be reviewed.
The support comes amid increased Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. British officials have described the deployment as defensive assistance.
