Key political developments across the Arab world and beyond.
Russia is increasingly deploying a new generation of jet-powered drones in its attacks on Ukraine, according to Sky News Arabia. The drones fly faster and at higher altitudes, which reduces the chances of intercepting them and gives Moscow more capacity to strike cities and infrastructure.
Yemen's information minister said two missiles fired by the Houthis landed near a Yemenia airliner preparing to take off from Aden airport on Friday. Aden police said the missiles hit the airport grounds, and reports said the plane, bound for Cairo, escaped with its passengers. Houthi-affiliated media separately reported air strikes on eastern Saada city and the Sahar district in northern Yemen.
Iran's army on Friday rejected statements attributed to US President Donald Trump that Tehran's air defenses had been destroyed. According to RT Arabic, the army said the downing of American drones shows the strength of its system and the growth of its capabilities. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia told CNN Arabic the military has a plan that would push US warships further away from the region.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Friday that it intercepted and destroyed drones and missiles launched toward various parts of the kingdom and over the Red Sea. Tallies differ by outlet: BBC Arabic cited four drones and three missiles, CNN Arabic reported three drones and two cruise missiles, and Sky News Arabia referred to a ballistic missile fired toward Yanbu. The Houthi group, Ansar Allah, said it shot down an armed Saudi reconnaissance drone in Marib, while Tehran denied involvement in the attacks and offered to mediate.
CNN reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the situation, that Ukraine has used up its stock of interceptor missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense system. According to the report, this leaves the country more vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Damascus has rejected drawing Suwayda's Druze into Israeli politics, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Netanyahu described the call as short and sharp, and Sky News Arabia reported it took place more than a year ago. He also claimed he had halted the bloodshed there, according to RT Arabic.
Ground clashes and missile strikes have erupted since Monday, October 5, on fronts linking Sanaa, Aden and Riyadh, RT Arabic reported. It described the fighting as the most intense escalation in years among the Houthis, government forces and the coalition. The available report gave no details on casualties or specific targets.
Israel has raised its alert level in recent days in anticipation of a possible security escalation with Iran, about two weeks before its general elections, Al Jazeera reported. The move coincides with a government vote on Thursday to extend the state of emergency.
BBC Arabic reported deaths and injuries in an attack by the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, on Maashiq palace in the Yemeni city of Aden. Riyadh accused Tehran of encouraging the group. Separately, the International Monetary Fund projected that Saudi Arabia's economy will shrink 3.3% in 2026, noting that the forecast was prepared before the recent attacks on Riyadh airport.
CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the US military is considering using the GBU-43/B bomb, known as the "Mother of All Bombs," against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if fighting resumes. Israel's Walla website, as relayed by RT Arabic, said the aim would be to pressure Tehran into negotiating on new terms, while noting limits to the bomb's effectiveness against nuclear facilities. No official confirmation was included in the available material.
Houthi forces fired missiles at the presidential palace complex in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, killing at least four people, according to government sources cited by AFP. Al Jazeera reported a higher toll of five dead and 16 wounded at the Maashiq presidential compound. The network also said Marib was hit by 16 ballistic missiles, citing local authorities.
Ukrainian authorities say Starlink imposed restrictions on some internet services used by the military, hampering operations. Elon Musk has responded to the claims, while sources told CNN about the background to the dispute, which comes amid an escalating row with the administration of US President Donald Trump, according to the network.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it destroyed a boat linked to Iran in the Gulf of Oman after striking it directly. According to the US statement, the vessel had been trying to conduct surveillance on American ships in the area.
Reports say dozens of Sudanese gold prospectors were killed or wounded in airstrikes along the Egypt-Sudan border. The incident has revived discussion of relations between Cairo and Khartoum, which have swung between closeness and distance over time. Disputes over sovereignty and borders remain central, even as the two countries share security and economic interests as well as social ties.
The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, said it hit a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen's Saada governorate, while explosions were heard in Riyadh. A ballistic missile the group launched toward the Saudi capital was reported intercepted and destroyed. The incidents come amid escalating exchanges of attacks between the two sides and a worsening supply crisis in Yemen's Taiz.
Al-Masirah, a channel affiliated with Yemen's Houthi group, said on Tuesday that Saudi strikes hit the oil company's site west of Sanaa, shortly after the Saudi-led coalition issued an evacuation order for the facility. Sky News Arabia cited Yemeni sources reporting air raids on the capital, with the target located in the Sabaha area. No casualty figures or detailed coalition comment were available.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected remarks by the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy, who said the Guard controls the Strait of Hormuz and that any US warships approaching it would be sunk. CENTCOM called the claims false, according to Sky News Arabia. The available reports gave no further details on any military movements.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, in the Eastern Province, was targeted early Wednesday, causing a limited fire at the site. A ministry official source said no injuries were reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with US President Donald Trump last week the possibility of a major new military operation against Iran before elections in both countries, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials. RT Arabic quoted a US official as saying the issue was raised twice, with no firm commitment from Trump. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu has warned his supporters that the opposition could win the upcoming Israeli election.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday it intercepted missile and drone attacks, which it attributed to the Houthis, on several areas of the kingdom. Four people were injured by falling debris in Riyadh. According to Al Jazeera, one of the attacks targeted an administrative building of Aramco in Dhahran. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it destroyed a ballistic missile fired toward Dhahran, with interception debris landing in a residential area, while the Civil Defense reported fragments from two cruise missiles after they were shot down over Riyadh.
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