Mideast live: Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted military facilities in Saudi Arabia
· France 2414/09/2026 - 14:42
Saudi oil pipeline hit in strikes will be mostly out of service for several weeks for repair
A crucial Saudi oil pipeline that was struck in an attack last week will mostly be out of service for weeks as the damage is repaired, said two regional officials.
The East-West Pipeline, which runs across the kingdom, is key to Saudi Arabia’s strategy of shifting its oil exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Persian Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have stifled shipping. The 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline can carry up to 7 million barrels of oil a day
An attack that Saudi Arabia blamed on drones from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq forced the shutdown of the pipeline on Thursday.
14/09/2026 - 13:18
Iran nuclear agency head blocked from IAEA meeting is 'sanctioned individual', US energy secretary says
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said Washington opposed the Iranian nuclear agency head attending an annual conference of the UN nuclear watchdog.
"He's a sanctioned individual and we don't want sanctioned individuals evading their sanctions. He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied," Wright told reporters in Vienna, the seat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
14/09/2026 - 13:15
Sucker Punch: How the Houthis shocked the Gulf
Yemen's Houthis have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea following the seizure of the critical port city of Mokha, adding pressure on Saudi shipments and, in turn, global oil supplies and prices.
Thomas Juneau, a specialist on the Houthis and Iran from the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, explains the intricate dynamics of the group, its repressive nature and the level of the threat to world shipping.
14/09/2026 - 11:58
Saudi crown prince, US CENTCOM chief discuss developments after Houthi escalation
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed regional developments with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah , Saudi state media said, amid escalating hostilities with Yemen's Houthis.
The meeting comes days after three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the crown prince had sought military assistance from President Donald Trump to help fight the Houthis.
Trump did not agree to US strikes on the group, but Washington told Riyadh it would provide intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance, the sources added.
The fighting has opened a second theatre in the wider regional conflict and raised concerns over Saudi oil exports and global shipping.
14/09/2026 - 10:47
Who is Iran's 'influential spymaster' Hossein Taeb, and does he pull the strings?
FRANCE 24's "Press Review" show examines a New York Times report that Iran's "influential" spymaster Hossein Taeb masterminded an Iranian attack on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran signed a peace deal.
The report said there was an intense power struggle in Iran between moderates led by President Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliners within the clergy and factions of the IRGC.
14/09/2026 - 10:35
Houthis say they targeted military facilities in Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushait area
Yemen's Houthis have said they fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh.
"The Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale military operation targeting military installations and infrastructure, including fighter jet hangars, radars, runways, ammunition depots, and other targets located at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait," said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.
It came minutes after the Saudi Civil Defense sent an all clear after issuing an alert for the Khamis Mushait governorate.
14/09/2026 - 10:15
Iran denies any involvement in Yemen war
Iran's foreign ministry has said Tehran had any involvement in the war in Yemen, after the Iran-backed Houthi movement seized more territory.
"Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs," ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, saying the Houthis are "entirely independent actors who make their decisions based on their own interests".
14/09/2026 - 10:14
Iran summons Austria envoy after nuclear chief blocked from Vienna meeting
Iran has said it summoned Austria's charge d'affaires after the European country refused to allow Iran's nuclear chief to take part in a meeting of the UN nuclear agency in Vienna.
"The Austrian government's refusal to issue visas to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a completely unjustified decision," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran.
"It is clear to us that this incident occurred under American pressure, but that does not absolve the Austrian government of responsibility."
14/09/2026 - 10:13
Iran says reports about activity in Pickaxe Mountain are baseless
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson has said reports of activity at the country's Pickaxe Mountain (Kolang Kouh) were baseless, after President Donald Trump said the US was monitoring activity
there.
Trump had said last week that the US could hit Pickaxe Mountain and urged Iran to be cautious.
14/09/2026 - 09:37
Saudi Arabia requested postponement of Hormuz meeting, Iran says
Saudi Arabia requested the postponement of a meeting between Tehran and Gulf powers on the Strait of Hormuz that was supposed to take place in Oman on Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has told reporters in Tehran.
14/09/2026 - 09:29
Iran nuclear chief blocked by US from Vienna meeting, state TV reports
Iran's nuclear chief was blocked from attending an annual conference on Monday at the headquarters of the UN's nuclear agency in Vienna due to opposition from the US, Iranian state television said.
"Mohammad Eslami and his delegation took a regular flight to Vienna on Saturday, but were blocked on the way because of obstructions by the United States," the state broadcaster reported, saying he had returned to the capital Tehran.
14/09/2026 - 09:04
Iran nuclear chief blocked by US from Vienna meeting: media
14/09/2026 - 09:03
South Korea condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia
South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned what it said was a Houthi attack on civilian and economic facilities in southern Saudi Arabia that
injured multiple civilians, and urged the Iran-aligned group to immediately stop such attacks.
14/09/2026 - 06:47
Saudi Civil Defense lifts warnings of potential danger in four cities
The Saudi Civil Defense has sent an all clear after issuing alerts for potential danger in four southern cities amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
Saudi Civil Defense had issued the alerts for the cities of Najran, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Abha. It also later issued warnings for Khamis Mushait and Abha a second time before lifting them again.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
14/09/2026 - 06:39
Hormuz shipping traffic remains below 10-day average over the weekend
Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a single digit per day at the weekend, preliminary shiptracking data showed on Monday, well below a 10-day average of 14.
Over the weekend, four vessels exited the Gulf through the strait, including a Handysize vessel sailing in ballast, a Handy vessel carrying LPG, a Supramax carrying fertilizer and a Suezmax laden with crude or condensate.
Ten vessels entered the Gulf, including a mini-bulker carrying minor bulk commodities, a Handymax carrying grain, a Panamax carrying metals and a Supramax carrying dry bulk cargo, the data showed.
The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.
14/09/2026 - 06:36
Oman postpones regional talks on Strait of Hormuz
Oman has said it had to postpone a meeting Monday in Muscat with Iran and other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus.”
Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks “at the request of some regional countries,” said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran’s foreign ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X.
Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to the Iran-Oman agreement, citing concerns that the emerging deal could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz that could negatively impact other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a Gulf official told AP on condition of anonymity.
14/09/2026 - 03:10
Trump dismisses report China entities helped Iran before attack that killed US troops
US President Donald Trump on Sunday brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US troops there in July.
A recent report in the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed US officials about the attack in Jordan. Asked whether he would mention the issue at an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump did not directly answer, and instead equated the surveillance activities of China and the United States.
"They basically do what we do," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "When they say China spies on us, I say you're right and we spy on them too."
14/09/2026 - 01:52
Oil extends gains as Mideast tensions deepen supply fears
Oil prices rose sharply on Monday, pushing Brent crude above $107 a barrel as escalating tensions in the Middle East stoked fears of disruptions to global energy supplies.
Brent crude for November delivery gained 2.8 percent to $107.54 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October rose 2.3 percent to $102.34.
Both contracts extended last week's gains after climbing back above the $100 threshold.
The market's focus remained firmly on the Middle East, where fresh security concerns threatened key export routes.
14/09/2026 - 01:50
- 1,400 flee Yemen fighting to Djibouti
- Houthis say hit Saudi base after renewed fighting with Yemeni forces
- Vessel struck while transiting Hormuz strait
- Oman postpones regional talks on Strait of Hormuz
14/09/2026 - 01:49
Iran's nuclear chief not expected to attend IAEA General Conference, official says
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation is not expected to attend the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations in Vienna for the first time in years because he is banned from international travel, an official briefed on the matter said.
Mohammad Eslami’s exclusion from the IAEA conference is another sign of rapidly deteriorating relations between Iran and the West. The United States and Iran have resumed fighting, on and off, after a fragile ceasefire collapsed in July.
Austria sought a waiver of the travel ban on Eslami with the UN sanctions committee but it was not granted, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
As host of the United Nations in Vienna, Austria can request exemptions from travel bans to enable sanctioned officials to attend international conferences at the UN.
Yesterday's key developments:
- Oil prices rose more than $3, to more than $108 per barrel, as of 22h14 GMT Sunday after new strikes on Saudi Arabia and on ships in the Gulf.
- The UN said that roughly 2,000 people landed in Djibouti this week after fleeing the uptick in fighting between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi fighters and the Saudi-backed government.
- The Houthi rebels said they had hit a Saudi military base amid renewed fighting with Yemeni forces.
- A ship was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and injuring three, local Iranian authorities said. The origin of the strike was not specified.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters and AP)