Yemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for carrying out a ballistic missile attack on the Aramco oil refinery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis said the attack was carried out in retaliation for Saudi attacks on Yemen's Sanaa and other provinces.
Smoke and fire was seen emerging from on Saturday, a witness told Reuters.
The Armaco fire comes amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Houthis, who have stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.
Last week, the Houthis said they had attacked Saudi’s Aramco facilities in Yanbu with missiles and drones.
It comes as a crude oil tanker was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, the UKMTO said on Saturday. All crew were reported safe and no environmental impact was recorded.
On Friday the UKMTO said a tanker was struck by a projectile while transiting the waterway, causing a small fire, which was extinguished.
Axios reported on Saturday that members of Donald Trump’s administration met in secret at Camp David to discuss the next steps of the war and the conflict between the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia.
Key Points
- Houthis claim missile and drone attack on Aramco facility in Riyadh
- Yemeni forces claim 97 'precision' attacks against Houthis
- Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met
- Iranian diplomats 'kicked out' of US after UN General Assembly
- Trump's top national security aides meet secretly at Camp David on Iran, Yemen
Houthis claim missile and drone attack on Aramco facility in Riyadh
Sunday 4 October 2026 00:00 , Suha Kidwai
Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a coordinated missile and drone strike targeting a Saudi Aramco facility in the capital city of Riyadh.
Witnesses reported seeing a large plume of smoke and fire rising near an Aramco installation in Riyadh earlier in the day.
The Houthi military has stated the assault was launched in direct retaliation for recent Saudi coalition airstrikes against Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces.
The reported strike marks a sharp escalation in cross-border targeting following claims last week of Houthi strikes against Aramco assets in Yanbu.
Yemeni forces claim 97 'precision' attacks against Houthis
04:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Yemeni government-aligned forces claim they conducted 97 “precision targeting operations” against the Houthis using aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers.
The attacks led to “neutralising (260) elements of the militia”, Yemeni military spokesperson Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, the Houthi military said it launched coordinated attacks targeting a Saudi Aramco facility in Riyadh in retaliation for recent Saudi coalition airstrikes against Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces.
In pictures: US carrier George HW Bush visits Thailand after six-month Middle East deployment
08:25 , Maira Butt
Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met, Nournews reports
07:47 , Maira Butt
The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions set out in a June interim agreement with the US are met, Nournews reported Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bager Ghalibaf as saying on Sunday, a few days after Tehran received Washington's reply to its diplomatic proposal.
“The Americans, who say something different in the media, have recently put forward proposals through a mediator. But they must understand that the period of dragging out the process and dictating one-sided demands is over,” he was quoted as saying.
“The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm, and the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are met.”
Iranian diplomats 'kicked out' of US after UN General Assembly – report
07:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
Two Iranian diplomats who were part of the delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York were “kicked out” of the US yesterday, Axios reported, citing a US official.
They were found still in New York “long after the UN General Assembly had passed,” despite the US State Department demanding that the entire Iranian delegation leave immediately after the session.
One of the Iranian diplomats left on Friday night and the second left on Saturday, according to the US official.
Yemen says it carried out attacks against Houthis in Sanaa
06:30 , Vishwam Sankaran
Yemen's armed forces said today that it was conducting strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis in the capital, Sanaa.
A Yemeni armed forces spokesperson said forces were targeting what he described as "vital targets", without providing further details.
Yemen's Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported earlier an attack that it said was carried out by Saudi Arabia on Sanaa.
Trump says Iran has 'virtually given up' nuclear weapon plans
06:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
US president Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran has been “decimated” and has “virtually given up any plans for a nuclear weapon”.
Trump claimed that oil prices were currently decreasing.
“Oil is coming down. Oil is right now lower, and it's been lower than it was under the Biden administration, and they did nothing about the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House to attend a rally in Ohio.
“By the way, Iran, as you know, has virtually given up any plans of a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Iran executes man detained in January protests
05:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Iran has executed a detainee over the protests in January for allegedly firing at police, the judiciary said yesterday.
The man, Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, fired at least three shots at police on 8 January and was arrested two days later in Shahrekord in southwestern Iran, it said.
He was accused of contacting people online to organise "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission".
Portuguese investigate US military access to base during Iran conflict
03:00 , Suha Kidwai
Portuguese prosecutors have opened a formal inquiry into the government's decision to allow US military flights to use Lajes Air Base in the Azores during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The prosecutor general's office confirmed the probe following a legal complaint filed by the opposition Left Bloc party, which claims allowing US transit operations violates international law.
Under a 1951 bilateral treaty, Washington can utilise the strategic Atlantic hub freely during peacetime, but must secure explicit Portuguese approval once active hostilities begin.
Foreign minister Paulo Rangel defended the authorisation, stating Lisbon received firm assurances from Washington that US operations would remain defensive, necessary, and proportionate.
Unlike neighboring Spain, which restricted US access, Portugal's approval has ignited fierce political debate over the nation's indirect involvement in the conflict.
Iranian rial plunges to record low despite $2B central bank intervention
02:00 , Suha Kidwai
Iran’s rial has plummeted to a historic low, with the US dollar now trading above 2.68 million rials in spite of emergency central bank intervention.
State banks began selling up to $2 billion in foreign reserves to stabilise the currency, which has lost more than half its value over the past year.
However, severe sanctions and a naval blockade on Iranian oil exports continue to choke off the regime's primary source of foreign revenue, pushing domestic inflation past 70 percent.
Central bank officials dismissed the market crash as a temporary panic, accusing Washington of spreading false economic predictions to induce capital flight.
Two Iranian nationals charged over Manchester synagogue chlorine bomb plot
01:00 , Suha Kidwai
Two Iranian men appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday accused of planning a chemical bomb attack on Jewish targets in Manchester, including a synagogue targeted in a fatal attack last year.
Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, conducted "hostile reconnaissance" at Heaton Park Synagogue and the Manchester Jewish Museum, according to prosecutors.
The court heard the men were allegedly directed by a handler in Iran who provided instructions on building an improvised explosive device using household chemicals and brake fluid.
The alleged plot directly targeted the Heaton Park Synagogue on the anniversary of the October 2025 Yom Kippur attack, in which a gunman killed two worshipers before being shot dead by police.
Both suspects were remanded in custody ahead of an October 23 hearing at the Old Bailey.
Iraq ships 2M barrels of crude through Strait of Hormuz
Saturday 3 October 2026 23:00 , Suha Kidwai
Iraq’s state-owned oil tanker company has transported two million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, marking its first such independent transit in decades.
Director general Ali Qais Abdul Jabbar confirmed on Saturday that the shipment shifts operations from delivering crude at the port of Basra to transporting it directly past the strategic chokepoint.
The move gives state oil marketer SOMO greater flexibility to secure better sales and pricing terms in international markets.
Abdul Jabbar added that the company is actively working to purchase specialised crude tankers to expand its state fleet and compete with regional maritime shipping firms.
Watch: Trump vows to hit Iran 'very hard' if linked to FlyDubai pilot attack
Saturday 3 October 2026 22:00 , Maira Butt
Trump's top national security aides meet secretly at Camp David on Iran, Yemen, Axios reports
Saturday 3 October 2026 21:30 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump's top cabinet members met secretly at the presidential retreat at Camp David to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, Axios reported on Friday.
Vice President JD Vance chaired the meeting, the news outlet reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Beyond the Strait of Hormuz: How Gulf countries are preparing for life without the waterway
Saturday 3 October 2026 21:00 , Maira Butt
Port operator DP World is in talks to develop new facilities in the coastal area of Fujairah to take pressure off its flagship Jebel Ali port, according to the Financial Times.
Jebel Ali, built in 1977, has made the UAE a hub of finance and trade, but weeks ago it was set alight by a piece of fallen debris from an Iranian missile. Since then, Dubai International Airport, US military bases and other facilities have come under direct attack.
Colossal losses are no surprise considering that a huge 20 per cent of global oil supply all passes through the strategic waterway, which has remained deadlocked now for months.
With an interim agreement that was thinly constructed now falling apart by the day, it appears that Gulf countries are hatching plans to protect their own economies.
How Gulf countries are preparing for life without the Strait of Hormuz
Trump sending 9,000 more troops to Middle East after threatening new strikes on Iran
Saturday 3 October 2026 20:30 , Maira Butt
The U.S. military is sending roughly 9,000 more troops to the Middle East aboard a group of ships, a U.S. official confirmed Thursday.
The bolstering of the American military presence comes as President Donald Trump warned that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon.
The troop deployment, which includes a third aircraft carrier, underscores the rapidly evolving dynamic of Trump's war against Iran as he considers his next move, with midterm elections in the United States looming large and fresh signs that the nature of the conflict may be becoming more complex.
Trump sending 9,000 more troops to Middle East after threatening new strikes on Iran
Iranian foreign minister previously said UK PM Burnham 'barking up the wrong tree'
Saturday 3 October 2026 20:00 , Maira Butt
In comments made earlier this week, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that British prime minister Andy Burnham was “barking up the wrong tree” over reports of a link to Iran in the RAF Fairford incident.
“PM Burnham says the UK Government ‘can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part’ in the RAF Fairford incident,” he wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
“I can confirm Iran's belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You're barking up the wrong tree.”
Recap: Trump adds eyebrow-raising new rationale for US war in Iran, saying 'They were doing drugs’
Saturday 3 October 2026 19:30 , Maira Butt
Donald Trump has added Iran “doing drugs” to the list of reasons for starting his unpopular war eight months ago.
The president has long said the ongoing conflict with the Islamic Republic, which began at the end of February, was launched to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
He has also previously hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran, calling for the Iranian people to overthrow the country’s rulers following protests earlier this year.
Trump adds eyebrow-raising new rationale for US war in Iran: ‘They were doing drugs’
Watch: Trump moves 9,000 troops to Middle East, threatens to hit Iran hard
Saturday 3 October 2026 19:00 , Maira Butt
Trump won’t win Nobel Peace Prize but his shadow hangs over the award
Saturday 3 October 2026 18:30 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump will not win this year's Nobel Peace Prize as he wages war with Iran, but his influence will still be felt by the awarding body that picks the laureate, according to experts.
Last year's award, presented to Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado, marked an unprecedented moment in the prize's 125-year history after Trump persistently lobbied to secure the award himself. Weeks later, Machado handed her gold Nobel medal directly to Trump in a bid to gain support for her efforts to advance democracy in Venezuela.
Trump won’t win Nobel Peace Prize but his shadow hangs over the award
Trump claims diesel export ban ‘never on table’ as G7 agrees reserve release
Saturday 3 October 2026 18:00 , Maira Butt
A diesel export ban was “never really on the table”, Donald Trump has claimed after the UK and other leading G7 nations bowed to White House pressure and agreed to release 100 million barrels of fuel and oil from emergency stocks.
The US president said Europe had done “a great thing” by drawing on their reserves under the threat of a block on stateside supplies.
Trump claims diesel export ban ‘never on table’ as G7 agrees reserve release
Iranian men ‘identified Heaton Park Synagogue as bomb plot target’ court hears
Saturday 3 October 2026 17:00 , Maira Butt
Two Iranian men identified Manchester’s Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue as targets for an alleged bomb plot, a court has heard.
Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, were arrested in Manchester on September 20 and charged on Friday with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said.
Both men appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning, where Salehi, through a Kurdish interpreter, and Ahmadyan, through a Farsi interpreter, spoke to confirm their names, dates of birth, and addresses.
Iranian men ‘identified Heaton Park Synagogue as bomb plot target’ court hears
Watch: Burnham says ‘strong indications’ Iran played part in suspected RAF Fairford bomb plot
Saturday 3 October 2026 16:30 , Maira Butt
In pictures:
Saturday 3 October 2026 16:13 , Maira Butt
Man arrested in Fairford air base investigation released on bail
Saturday 3 October 2026 16:00 , Maira Butt
British counter-terrorism police investigating a suspected plot at the RAF Fairford base said on Saturday that they had released a UK-Iranian dual national on bail.
The 25-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts involving the air base, which is used by the US.
US bombers have taken part in raids against targets in Iran from the location.
Police confirmed he had now been released, and searches at two properties in London had concluded.
"The investigation into the circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is continuing," police said in a statement.
Home Secretary warns UK is facing ‘serious threats’ from Iran after bomb plot charges
Saturday 3 October 2026 15:30 , Maira Butt
The UK is facing “a range of serious threats” from Iran, Shabana Mahmood has said after two migrants were charged with an alleged bomb plot against the Jewish community.
The Tehran regime “target our Jewish communities and try to silence their critics overseas, often through proxies and criminal networks to hide their involvement”, the Home Secretary said.
Iranians Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, who were arrested in Manchester on Sunday, September 20, have been charged on Friday with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said.
Home Secretary warns UK is facing ‘serious threats’ from Iran after bomb plot charges
