A large plume of smoke was visible near Riyadh’s main airport on Saturday after booms were heard and Saudi Arabia sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around the capital, amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group. …
… The Iran-backed group’s military spokesman said the naval blockade was in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen. …
… In the Middle East, Saudi warplanes pounded Yemen, the Houthis said, as the Iran-backed fighters solidified their gains after a lightning advance. …
… Saudi warplanes pounded Yemen and Houthi fighters launched drones and missiles at Saudi cities, the Iran-backed movement said on Wednesday, after a lightning advance that has extended Tehran’s reach in the Middle East war. …
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. …
… Sources said on Tuesday that oil loadings at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port had been suspended after the world’s biggest crude exporter shut its East-West pipeline following an attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Friday. …
… Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday, while Gulf Arab states postponed planned discussions with Iran, fuelling concerns that the Middle East conflict could widen and disrupt global oil supplies. …
… Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis had reached the strategic island of Perim on Friday, moving to tighten their control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another key oil transit lane that has been shipping 4-5% of global supply in recent months. …
… HOUTHI ATTACKS CONTINUE In Saudi Arabia, state media released video of damage to homes and a mosque from the latest purported cross-border attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Jazan province in the south. …
… Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia carried out three airstrikes on the al-Rubaie area in Taiz province in southwestern Yemen. …
Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's main airport on Saturday following overnight alerts from Saudi civil defence warning of potential aerial attacks in the capital and Al-Kharj, amid escalating Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia since July.
Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's main airport on Saturday following overnight alerts from Saudi civil defence warning of potential aerial attacks in the capital and Al-Kharj, amid escalating Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia since July.
Residents in Riyadh received air raid alerts and explosions were reported in the Saudi capital after the Iran-backed Houthis escalated attacks. It was the first such alert in Riyadh since the Houthis declared a "maritime embargo" in July and seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island.
Spot gold climbed 1.1% to $4,310.49 per ounce on Thursday as investors processed the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike and signals of further tightening, while oil prices fell as Saudi Arabia offered additional crude cargoes through Oman. An analyst expects gold to remain range-bound unless oil prices decline further, noting the Fed's hawkish message is already priced into the market.
Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined on Thursday as reports that Saudi Arabia is offering extra crude cargoes through Oman eased concerns over supply disruptions following attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline to the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia's coalition spokesman said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening. The Houthis denied targeting the holy city, saying their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases, and accused Saudi Arabia of "fabrications and lies."
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly by 7.1 million barrels, contrary to analyst expectations for a draw of 1.6 million barrels. Brent crude fell 0.86% to $107.82 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell 0.92% to $104.86 a barrel, as investors assessed supply risks following Saudi Arabia's suspension of oil loadings at Yanbu port after an attack on its East-West pipeline.
Brent crude futures rose 1.3% to $107.05 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 1.51% to $102.92 a barrel as attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure left the East-West pipeline offline and Iran-backed Houthi forces launched fresh attacks on Saudi military targets.
Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Monday following new Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf, compounded by the closure of a key Saudi oil pipeline that threatens up to 4% of global oil supply. Brent crude futures rose $2.90 to $107.51 per barrel and WTI futures rose $2.27 to $102.32 per barrel.
A regional diplomatic meeting between Iran and Persian Gulf powers, scheduled for Monday, was postponed "in the interests of consensus," according to Oman's foreign minister. The postponement came amid fresh attacks on Middle East oil transit routes and Saudi Arabia's closure of a 1,200-km pipeline damaged in drone strikes.
Maritime trackers reported a projectile hit a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, with the crew evacuated after a fire broke out. The incident follows Saudi Arabia's temporary closure of its East-West pipeline after a drone attack, raising concerns about global oil supply disruptions as Brent crude surges above $100 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia has closed its critical 1,200km East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq attacked it, following an admission from Iraq's government and the firing of a military commander. The pipeline has been moving 4% to 5% of global oil supply, and the closure comes amid wider Middle East tensions and Houthi advances in Yemen.
Oil prices have jumped to $105 a barrel as US-Iran conflict intensifies and the Strait of Hormuz faces effective closure, while US and UK long-term borrowing costs have surged to their highest level in decades. Analysts warn that rising energy and borrowing costs are placing pressure on financial markets and the global economy.
Yemen's Houthi movement has captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, bringing the Iran-backed group closer to controlling the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The seizure follows a Houthi offensive in the south-western coastal region that has killed hundreds and displaced thousands, amid escalating conflict with Saudi Arabia involving drone and missile strikes.
US President Donald Trump said the Iran war will not end until after November's midterm elections, and that oil prices will remain high until then. Trump argued that short-term economic pain is necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, though Tehran has denied it is seeking nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump said the Iran war will not end until after November's midterm elections, with oil prices rising to $100 for the first time since July amid heightened Middle East fighting. Trump told reporters he expects oil prices to fall "right after the election" and suggested Iran is "desperate to try and affect the election."
Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of attacks on shipping by both sides since a six-month-old war began. The attacks sent oil prices surging, with Brent crude breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July, and the U.S. average retail diesel price hit a fresh all-time high above $5.94 a gallon.
Brent crude climbed past $100 a barrel on Wednesday, driven by fresh US-Iran strikes and continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi facilities and Red Sea tankers. The price reflects the highest level since the Iran-US ceasefire collapsed in late July.
Oil prices rose for the fourth consecutive session as renewed Middle East attacks, including Iranian-backed Houthi strikes on Saudi cities and U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers, heightened concerns about supply disruptions. Brent crude reached $99.33 a barrel, up 1.4%, as analysts warn the market continues to price in a "sizeable risk premium" with peace talks still distant.
US Central Command struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island in response to Iranian attacks on an American warship. Tehran then launched 20 missiles at a US base in Jordan, of which Jordan said it shot down 18, with two falling in unpopulated areas.
Eswatini received two additional third-country nationals deported from the United States under a bilateral agreement, bringing the total to over 30 deportees since last year. The Trump administration's $5.1 million agreement with Eswatini has drawn legal and rights group challenges, with some deportees allegedly detained despite having served criminal sentences in the US.
The US Africa envoy has called on the UN Security Council to extend its arms embargo to all of Sudan to halt external military and financial support, citing escalating drone attacks by both the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Russia and China oppose the move, saying it would weaken Sudan's army's effectiveness, and a wider embargo would require a Security Council vote.
Oil prices climbed Tuesday after Iran said it would adopt a "fully offensive" military posture and the U.S. ruled out extending a ceasefire agreement, with progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz stalled. Brent crude rose 0.3% to $91.14 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained to $85.04.
Deaths more than doubled on the Central Mediterranean and nearly tripled on the Eastern Mediterranean in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, even as overall arrivals to Europe fell sharply, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Dr. Thomas Oertle has been appointed Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, Benin and Togo. He previously served as Switzerland's Head of Mission in Muscat and held senior roles in African cooperation and Middle Eastern diplomacy.
A $50 million ransom paid in late 2025 to free hostages seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali has helped fund their advances across West Africa and the group's global network, according to a U.N. report. Three regional sources identified the United Arab Emirates as having made the payment, which distributed funds to fighters in the Sahel region and al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and beyond.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend following attacks on tankers, with only five commodity vessels transiting on Saturday and none on Sunday, compared to 31 in the prior weekend, according to shiptracking data. The slowdown occurred as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the Middle East conflict stalled and Iran's Foreign Minister said Washington must meet Iran's conditions regarding the strait for shipping to resume.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday as doubts over a U.S.-Iran peace deal and attacks on ships in the Middle East heightened supply concerns, with Brent futures gaining 0.81% to $89.63 a barrel and U.S. WTI crude rising 0.85% to $83.91.
Oil and gold prices climbed on Wednesday as geopolitical tensions escalated, including separate attacks on shipping by the U.S. and Iran-aligned Houthis, and a North Korean missile launch, ahead of U.S. consumer price index data expected to signal potential Federal Reserve rate decisions. U.S. crude rose to $83.94 a barrel and Brent to $89.60 per barrel, while spot gold gained to $4,387.03 an ounce.
Oman says positive talks are underway with Iran over an agreement to secure a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran warns that any deal would not immediately reopen the waterway. Iran says reopening depends on other conditions, including US compensation for alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement.
Oil prices extended gains on Friday as Iran, working with Oman, proposed banning vessels deemed hostile from the Strait of Hormuz and imposing heavy fines for violations. Brent crude rose to $83.29 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate to $77.93, with analysts attributing the move to concerns over Iran's draft plan to ban U.S. and Israeli vessels from the strait through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is transmitted.