Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missile Aimed at Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, early Saturday. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki stated that air defenses also intercepted and destroyed a drone in the Eastern Province . Explosions were heard across Riyadh around 4 a.m., and residents received air-raid alerts via mobile applications . The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, claimed that Saudi Arabia had launched 124 airstrikes and missile attacks over the previous 24 hours across Yemeni provinces including Sanaa, Taiz and Lahj, alleging civilian casualties that included women and children .

Jordan Mourns Victims of Deadly Church Attack as Security Tightens

Jordan stepped up security at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across the country as authorities continued searching for gunmen who killed eight people and wounded 40 in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate on Friday. The assailants fired for several minutes during a funeral service. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated: “This is a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism, and we will not allow society to go down this path” . King Abdullah II, who visited Karak hours after the attack, pledged that the perpetrators would be punished “with an iron fist” . Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy denounced the attack as “an unacceptable terrorist act and a crime condemned by every standard” . Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said: “Terrorism has neither a religion nor a homeland” .

Gaza Ceasefire Violations Continue as Death Toll Mounts

Two Palestinians, including a woman, were killed and four others wounded Saturday in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources. Fatima Abu Laban was killed by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, while Mohammad Anan al-Rawagh was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City . Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israeli ceasefire violations have killed 1,547 Palestinians and wounded 5,559 since the ceasefire took effect on October 11. The cumulative death toll since October 2023 has reached 74,540, with 175,678 injured .

Iran Warns US and Israel as Parliament Speaker Skips BRICS Meeting

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will skip next week’s BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi due to “certain unforeseen circumstances,” amid escalating tensions in West Asia. The Iranian Embassy confirmed that a parliamentary delegation would still participate . Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said Iran would not allow US warships to enter the Persian Gulf “under any circumstances.” Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official, warned that internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz would be destroyed if Iran’s infrastructure came under attack .

Two Supertankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that two “violating” supertankers attempting to transit an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz struck mines and exploded on Saturday. The tankers, carrying over 4.5 million barrels of crude oil combined, suffered engine room failures and fires, forcing them to halt. Crew members abandoned the vessels . The incident underscores heightened maritime tensions in the strategic waterway amid the broader regional escalation.