The UK will provide Saudi Arabia with limited defensive air-refueling support following an escalation in Iran-backed Houthi drone and missile attacks. A Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft will operate from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, with the mission initially expected to last several weeks.
At least 674 people have been killed and 2,998 injured in Yemen since fighting intensified, according to the WHO, while the IOM says 129,438 people have been displaced across seven governorates. Between September 18 and 21 alone, the number of displaced people increased by 11,352.
Suspected Israeli airstrikes triggered powerful explosions at a weapons depot near Al-Eis in Syria’s Aleppo province early Monday, reportedly injuring at least four people. Separately, Israeli forces allegedly shelled areas in western Daraa province, with no casualties reported.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says all Iranian airlines will be shut down worldwide from September 23, as Washington expands sanctions pressure on Tehran. The move comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Iran-related sanctions expected to be among the issues discussed.
Iran has warned the United States and its allies that any new major attack would trigger sustained retaliation against U.S. military bases and American interests across the region. Tehran’s warning comes amid heightened tensions and a U.S. security alert over the risk of further escalation in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Iran-backed Houthis attempted to strike Riyadh with a ballistic missile, which was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defenses. The Houthis also claimed attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu using missiles and drones.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has pardoned former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of shooting and killing a wounded Palestinian in Hebron in 2016. Herzog cited the passage of time, completion of Azaria’s sentence and his expression of regret, while the Israeli military opposed the decision.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he is at a decision point on major issues involving Iran, while Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warns that any renewed U.S. attack or regional support for such an operation would trigger a severe response against American military facilities and interests in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new law imposing additional sanctions on Russia, targeting its energy and defense sectors and giving him authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
