Smoke rises from the site of the Saudi Aramco refinery after reported Houthi attacks, south of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout satellite image taken on Oct. 3, 2026. (Photo: European Union/Copernicus Sentinel)
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Amid intensifying clashes with the Houthis from neighboring Yemen, three people were injured yesterday in strikes on the Saudi airports of Jizan and Najran, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation, while loud explosions were heard in Riyadh on Monday night and during the day Tuesday. While pro-Iranian forces said Monday evening that they had targeted military sites and airports in southern Saudi Arabia, an ally of Yemen's government forces, they announced further strikes against the kingdom this morning, this time targeting Riyadh international airport and a refinery operated by the giant Aramco. At the same time, Yemeni rebels asserted Tuesday that they still hold all recently captured positions, particularly in strategic areas along the Red Sea coast, denying having lost ground to Yemeni government forces. The opposing side, which has launched a counteroffensive in recent days, claims "victories on several fronts," saying it has "pushed the Houthis out of Bab al-Mandeb, Dhubab airport, al-Omari camp, and the city of Mokha."
Why it matters
This escalation carries strategic significance because it's taking place around Bab al-Mandeb, one of the world's main maritime trade chokepoints. Houthi advances in September allowed them to significantly increase their control over this strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, at a time when the Strait of Hormuz is also heavily disrupted by the regional war. The current counteroffensive is therefore also aimed at preventing the Houthis from maintaining serious leverage over trade and energy routes in the Red Sea. A drawn-out surge in fighting around Bab al-Mandeb, combined with the disruptions at Hormuz, could further heighten tensions for maritime transport and energy markets.
What to watch
Katz orders Israeli army to be ready for "any possible scenario" in Gaza, on the eve of the Oct. 7 anniversary. These orders, specifically increasing the alert level, were given by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz "in light of intelligence about Hamas intentions to carry out attacks and assaults against our forces," his ministry said in a statement. "If our forces suffer losses, Hamas and the population of Gaza will pay a very heavy price, on a considerable scale," the ministry added. The threat comes amid heightened tension on the eve of the third anniversary of the Hamas attack and incursion into Israel.
Elsewhere in the news
- Lebanese man injured in south Lebanon by Israeli explosive device in Shoukin. Tuesday morning in southern Lebanon was marked by the explosion of a device in Shoukin (Nabatieh), which injured one person, and a motorized incursion in Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya). In Shoukin, a civilian was injured and hospitalized following the explosion of an Israeli device, according to our correspondent in the South. In the eastern sector, a bulldozer and three military vehicles advanced on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba, at the location known as Shanouh, and broke through an earth embankment towards Halta, before withdrawing towards the hamlet of Bastara. Kfar Shuba is a still-inhabited village in southern Lebanon, and is located on the direct outskirts of the Israeli-occupied zone. An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade Tuesday morning near a house in the al-Arisheh area, on the outskirts of Hariss in the Bint Jbeil district. At dawn, several artillery shells struck Mansouri and Wadi Zibqine in the Sour district, while machine-gun fire swept through the area around Braasheet (Bint Jbeil).
- North Lebanon: Foiled illegal crossing to Cyprus, $5,000 demanded by smuggler. Lebanese police announced they had foiled an attempt by Syrians to clandestinely migrate to Cyprus. According to a statement on its website, the Internal Security Forces said they raided a small building in Abboudieh, North Lebanon, where police arrested a Lebanese and a Syrian accused of leading the smuggling operation, along with several would-be migrants, all Syrians. The two alleged smugglers demanded $5,000 per person to take them illegally to the neighboring island. Crossings to Cyprus have become rare this summer, since the island has reinforced measures against illegal immigration.
- End of UNIFIL mandate: MPs submit legal study suggesting "alternatives" to Aoun. MP Melhem Khalaf and several colleagues presented Lebanese President Joseph Aoun with a legal study on Security Council Resolution 2790, which stipulated in August 2025 a final renewal of UNIFIL's mandate before its scheduled withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The study notes "major challenges" in implementing certain provisions of the resolution, mainly due to the lack of stability in South Lebanon, where more than 600 km2 remain under Israeli occupation. It also suggests "alternatives" to the U.N. force to avoid any security vacuum along the southern border.
