US-Iran War Live Updates: Saudi air defences intercept Houthi missile aimed at Riyadh
The US could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a US envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel.
by Mashkoora Khan · The Indian Express · JoinThe Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile heading towards Riyadh and a drone over the kingdom’s eastern region.
The United States could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a US envoy said on October 23, as threats from Washington and Israel against Tehran grow. Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, told Israeli army radio that a strike was possible, answering “Absolutely” when asked. Barrack, who leads US policy on Syria and has no direct role in Iran, added that President Donald Trump remains open to a deal after months of talks, Reuters said.
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Israel is pushing in the same direction. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections on Tuesday, has repeatedly vowed in recent days to bring down Iran’s clerical rule, following two major bombing campaigns against Iran since last year. Trump has also signalled he is open to resuming strikes after a long deadlock in talks. However, he earlier said this would not happen before the US congressional elections on November 3. Trump is weighing a quick end to the war against letting the conflict “wither”.
At home, Netanyahu ordered a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank and said the army is ready for a large operation. The move followed a gun battle in Hebron, where Israeli forces killed two Palestinians. The Israeli army said two of its soldiers died and three were wounded.
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Key world developments
- Iran: A US envoy said a strike this weekend is possible, while Trump says he is still open to a deal, according to Reuters.
- Israel: Netanyahu has vowed to topple Iran’s government and faces elections on Tuesday, after two major bombing campaigns against Iran since last year.
- West Bank: A full lockdown was ordered after the Hebron clash, in which two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed.
- Diplomacy and shipping: European and Middle East foreign ministers met in Istanbul on Hormuz security, and the UKMTO said a tanker was hit by a projectile near Oman in the strait.
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia: The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait, and Flydubai extended its Saudi flight cancellations to October 29.
Follow the latest world news and major international developments here. This live blog is a rolling curation of the day’s key global stories, with updates added as events unfold and the news agenda changes. The headline, introduction, and Top Developments section will be refreshed throughout the day to reflect the stories that matter most at that moment.
Live Updates
Oct 24, 2026 02:45 PM IST
Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield operating at 400 kph after week of throttling
Ukraine’s Starlink and Starshield satellite communication services have returned to normal speeds of more than 400 km per hour, Defence Minister Evhenii Khmara said on Saturday, following more than a week of restrictions that disrupted military communications and operations.
“The Ministry of Defence’s monitoring systems are recording a return to normal speed for Starlink/Starshield. We are recording a speed of over 400 kph. The connection is stable,” Khmara told reporters.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said its monitoring systems had earlier detected disruptions to both services, but speed measurements had since returned to normal. However, it did not confirm whether the services had been fully restored.
The Ukrainian military does not publicly disclose the maximum operating speeds of the systems. The restrictions, first reported on October 14, reportedly reduced connection speeds to around 160 kph or lower, affecting Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones and disrupting communications along the frontline.
The disruption involving Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, came amid broader diplomatic developments after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to purchase Russian diesel and waived new sanctions on Moscow while urging Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Neither Musk nor the US government has accepted responsibility for the restrictions imposed on Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine. Both have publicly suggested that the other party could have been responsible for such a decision.
Oct 24, 2026 02:35 PM IST
Magnitude 5.2 earthquake strikes Tibet region in southwest China
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the Xizang region, also known as Tibet, in southwest China.
Oct 24, 2026 01:32 PM IST
Houthis accused of 21 violations in Yemen’s Taiz in 24 hours
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has accused the Houthis of committing 21 violations in Yemen’s Taiz Governorate over the past 24 hours, including firing around 213 projectiles at residential areas.
According to the government news agency Saba, the NGO’s report documented deaths and injuries from shelling and sniper fire, kidnappings, secret detentions, raids and looting of homes, and attacks on residential neighbourhoods and public roads. (Al Jazeera)
Oct 24, 2026 01:31 PM IST
Saudi air defences intercept Houthi missile aimed at Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition said that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile fired at Riyadh,
Oct 24, 2026 12:15 PM IST
Trump says US may do another military operation against Iran
President Donald Trump said on Friday the US may carry out another military operation against Iran at just as the Iran war nears its eight-month mark and rising fuel prices weigh on the US midterm elections.
* "We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump told a rally in Florida, using the US military's term for its war on Iran. He did not elaborate.
* Trump said earlier in the day the US could end the war quickly but questioned whether Washington should seek a swift conclusion or allow the conflict to gradually wind down.
Oct 24, 2026 12:14 PM IST
North Korea's Kim Jong Un visits China via Dandong bridge, Yonhap says
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Dandong, China, on a visit to the neighbouring country via a newly opened bridge, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday, citing a South Korea government source.
A spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry did not have an immediate comment. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oct 24, 2026 11:00 AM IST
QatarEnergy in talks to buy US LNG as Iran war disrupts Hormuz shipping
QatarEnergy is in talks to buy up to 3 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas a year from Woodside Energy’s Louisiana LNG project as the Iran war continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported Friday, citing three people familiar with the negotiations.
A potential agreement could run for 15 to 20 years, with LNG supplied from Woodside’s 16.5-million-ton-per-year Louisiana facility, which is under construction.
QatarEnergy has been buying LNG on the US spot market to meet customer commitments because the ongoing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has sharply curtailed shipping, Reuters reported.
The talks come after Cheniere Energy agreed to supply QatarEnergy with 4 million tons of LNG annually under a long-term deal, split between its Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana and Corpus Christi terminal in Texas.
Oct 24, 2026 09:27 AM IST
Iran military chief says US warships will not be allowed into Persian Gulf
Iran will not allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf “under any circumstances,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi said Friday, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
“We will not, under any circumstances or at any time, allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf,” Mousavi said.
He claimed Iran’s armed forces had rendered the US Navy ineffective and said American forces were no longer able to approach waters around the Persian Gulf or Iran’s territorial waters.
“The US president can only dream of their military and army entering the Persian Gulf again,” Mousavi said, Tasnim reported.
Oct 24, 2026 08:51 AM IST
US is reducing staffing at 4 Middle East embassies over increased threats from Iran
The State Department is reducing staffing at four U.S. embassies in the Middle East after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere.
In a memo sent Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said his teams “have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel.”“The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,” Clayton wrote.
Oct 24, 2026 08:44 AM IST
Trump says US may do another military operation against Iran
President Donald Trump said on Friday the US may carry out another military operation against Iran at just as the Iran war nears its eight-month mark and rising fuel prices weigh on the US midterm elections.
* "We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump told a rally in Florida, using the US military's term for its war on Iran. He did not elaborate.
* Trump said earlier in the day the US could end the war quickly but questioned whether Washington should seek a swift conclusion or allow the conflict to gradually wind down.
Oct 24, 2026 07:54 AM IST
Iran says it has not suspended nuclear safeguards obligations
Iran has not abandoned or suspended its safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but military attacks have changed the security conditions under which they can be implemented, Iran’s UN Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi said Friday.
Darzi made the remarks during the UN General Assembly’s debate on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual report in New York.
“Iran has neither abandoned nor suspended its safeguards obligations,” Darzi said, adding that military attacks had changed the security conditions under which those obligations could be implemented.
Oct 24, 2026 07:45 AM IST
Houthi media reports renewed air attacks in Saada governorate
Houthi-affiliated media is reporting that air strikes have targeted the al-Salem district, alongside attacks in the districts of Ketaf and al-Baqa in Yemen’s Saada governorate.
Oct 24, 2026 07:39 AM IST
Saudi-led coalition shoots down Houthi missile fired towards Riyadh
The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile that Yemen's Houthis fired towards Riyadh. The statement did not say where the missile was brought down, and I have no details yet on damage or injuries.
Oct 24, 2026 07:36 AM IST
IAEA chief confirms readiness for Iran nuclear verification
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said the agency has finished most of the technical work it needs to check Iran's nuclear activities. Speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York, Grossi said "The IAEA is ready" to carry out the checks once a deal is in place. He said he hopes the talks between Washington and Tehran will make progress, and that any lasting solution will need a diplomatic agreement that the IAEA can verify.
Grossi told the General Assembly that most of the work needed for proper verification of Iran's activities has been done.
He said he hopes the US and Iran can move forward, and pointed to mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, Oman and Egypt. He said there will be no lasting and stable solution without a diplomatic agreement, and that any deal would need IAEA verification.
Grossi said all nuclear material in Syria is now under IAEA monitoring, and he hopes the agency can achieve a similar result with Iran.
Oct 24, 2026 07:33 AM IST
US could strike Iran this weekend
The US could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a US envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel.
Oct 24, 2026 07:31 AM IST
Why is US quietly moving diplomats and families across Middle East
The State Department is cutting staff at four US embassies in the Middle East after US intelligence found that Iran has stepped up its efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton set out the finding in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, October 23. Clayton said his teams had received intelligence that Iran has greatly increased its efforts to target US staff.
Embassy cuts: The State Department is reducing staff at four US embassies in the Middle East as a result of the intelligence.
The memo: Clayton sent the memo to Rubio on October 23. In it, he said his teams had received intelligence that Iran has increased its efforts to target US personnel.
The plots: Clayton wrote that Iranian plans to kill US citizens have reached "advanced stages". He said they are under way in the Middle East and in certain other countries, which he did not name.
Oct 24, 2026 07:29 AM IST
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence says danger has passed in Riyadh, other regions
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence says the danger has passed in Riyadh, Najran and Wadi al-Dawasir, after earlier issuing emergency warnings in the three areas.
In separate posts on X, the agency urged residents to continue following safety instructions and to avoid gathering or filming.
Oct 24, 2026 07:28 AM IST
Gunmen open fire at a church during a funeral in Jordan, killing 7 and wounding 40
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman. Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots.
Oct 24, 2026 07:24 AM IST
Saudi-led coalition says Houthi ballistic missile intercepted over Riyadh
A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition has said air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The announcement, made in a post on X, followed emergency warnings issued by the Saudi Civil Defence in Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir. Authorities subsequently said the danger had passed in all three areas.
Earlier, the coalition also announced the interception and destruction of a drone in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Oct 24, 2026 07:16 AM IST
US intel memo warns of 'advanced' Iranian plots to kill officials abroad
US intelligence has found that Iran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and other regions, and that plots to kill them have reached an advanced stage, Axios said on October 23. The finding is in a memo dated October 23 and sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which Axios has seen. US officials say the intelligence is one reason the State Department is cutting staff at several American embassies in the Middle East, as fears grow of a wider regional conflict.
Embassy cuts: US officials told Axios the intelligence is one reason the State Department is reducing staff at embassies across the region. They also fear the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, could widen their attacks beyond Saudi Arabia to other countries.
Strikes on Iran: The US and Israel could carry out new military operations against Iran, possibly after the midterm elections. At a rally in Florida on Friday, President Donald Trump said the US may launch another round of strikes, or Iran will agree to a deal, Axios said.
The memo: Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton wrote in the one-page, unclassified memo that intelligence on the plots must reach more US staff than are allowed to see it now. It does not name targets, countries outside the Middle East or the type of plots, but says senior State Department officials already have the intelligence. Clayton offered to lower the classification of as much of it as possible so Rubio can share it more widely.
Oct 24, 2026 06:56 AM IST
Trump says US may conduct new military operation against Iran
US President Donald Trump has said he may launch another military campaign against Iran.
Speaking during a rally in Florida, Trump said, “We may do another little epic fury,” using the codename of the US-Israeli war against Iran that started on February 28.
He went on to urge Iranian officials to agree to US demands to end the conflict.
“If they [Iranian officials] are smart, they’ll just say, ‘let’s get down to business,'” Trump said, “but I doubt they’ll do that.”
Oct 24, 2026 06:30 AM IST
Iranian president expected at gas summit in Moscow next week
Iran’s president, Pezeshkian, will attend the eighth Gas-Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow on October 27, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
Fars reports that Pezeshkian is scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Putin on the sidelines of the summit.
Oct 24, 2026 06:23 AM IST
US has for years asked Musk to alter Starlink service in Ukraine, Middle East, sources say
Well before the throttling this month of Ukraine's military access to Elon Musk's satellite communications system, the Biden and Trump administrations had several times asked SpaceX to turn its Starlink service on or off in various countries, according to six former senior US officials familiar with the matter.
During the presidency of Joe Biden, the requests included switching off the service to prevent Iranian proxy militias in Yemen and Lebanon from using Starlink to communicate, and activating the service to provide internet access inside Iran and in Ukraine to support its military, said four of the former officials.
Similarly, President Donald Trump's administration asked Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, to make the service available in Iran following US-Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026, in hopes it would bolster internet access and communications for anti-government protesters, a former senior Trump official and a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
All of the people spoke on condition of anonymity. The previous US requests about Starlink access are being reported here for the first time.
Oct 24, 2026 06:03 AM IST
Trump weighs quick end to Iran war against letting conflict ‘wither’
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a delayed report of an incident involving a tanker hit by an unknown projectile about seven nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz.
The tanker was able to continue its voyage to its next port of call, UKMTO said.
The agency advised vessels to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity as authorities investigate the incident.
Oct 24, 2026 05:14 AM IST
Iranian trade official accuses Trump of reconsidering strikes over rising oil prices
The president of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry has accused Trump of reconsidering military action against Iran because of rising oil prices.
“That madman was bragging about attacking Iran until last night,” Majidreza Hariri said in a post on X.
“Today, as oil prices approach $120, he’s talking about negotiations again. We neither take him seriously when he talks about war and destruction, nor do we get our hopes up with his promises of negotiation! The end of the war will be determined by accepting the conditions of champion Iran.”
Oct 24, 2026 05:02 AM IST
Akasa Air extends flight suspensions to and from Riyadh until Nov 30
India’s Akasa Air has extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah until November 10 and Riyadh until November 30, 2026, citing the prevailing security situation in Saudi Arabia.
The airline said it was closely monitoring developments and assessing the situation in real time.
Affected passengers can opt for a full refund, to be credited to their original payment method within seven days, or reschedule their flights at no extra cost.
Akasa Air said the safety and well-being of passengers and crew remained its top priority.
Oct 24, 2026 05:01 AM IST
IRGC general: Iran will become a graveyard for foreign troops in case of ground invasion
Brigadier-General Yadollah Javani, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran will become a graveyard for the aggressors if the enemy launches a ground operation.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, Javani said US forces are already facing constraints in areas and bases across the region, asking, “How could they possibly enter an unfamiliar territory and sustain a presence there?”
“Should the enemy make such a mistake, Iran will become a killing ground for the invading foreign troops — regardless of the route they choose to enter the country,” he said, according to Fars.
Oct 24, 2026 05:00 AM IST
Iranian trade official accuses Trump of reconsidering strikes over rising oil prices
The president of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry has accused Trump of reconsidering military action against Iran because of rising oil prices.
“That madman was bragging about attacking Iran until last night,” Majidreza Hariri said in a post on X.
“Today, as oil prices approach $120, he’s talking about negotiations again. We neither take him seriously when he talks about war and destruction, nor do we get our hopes up with his promises of negotiation! The end of the war will be determined by accepting the conditions of champion Iran.”
Oct 24, 2026 04:59 AM IST
US could strike Iran this weekend, envoy says
The US could strike Iran as soon as this weekend, a US envoy said Friday, after mounting threats by both Washington and Israel.
"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and point man on Syria who does not have a direct role in Iran, told Israeli army radio in response to a question.
Trump "is very clear. He's open and available and accessible to a deal, and we've been at the table for months and months and months," Barrack said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections Tuesday, in recent days has repeatedly vowed to topple the clerical state in Iran, following two major bombing campaigns against Iran since last year.
Trump has also signalled an openness to resuming strikes on Iran after a long deadlock in diplomacy, although he earlier said it would not happen before US congressional elections on November 3.
Oct 24, 2026 04:59 AM IST
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