The Saudi-led coalition in conflict with Yemen’s Houthis said that its forces intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the group, thwarting attacks on the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu. “Escalations and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly,” said coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki in a series of posts on X. المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف السعودي اللواء الركن تركي المالكي: اعتراض وتدمير 6 صواريخ باليستية أطلقتها الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية • اعتراضات الدفاعات الجوية أحبطت محاولة استهداف الطائف وينبع • تصعيد وانتهاكات الميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية سيتم التعامل معها بحزم pic.twitter.com/tptmZZL1gJ — كويت نيوز (@KuwaitNews) September 24, 2026 Greek security sources told ​Reuters that an air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia ​intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone in the wider Yanbu region. "Both were shot down," one of the sources said, adding ​that the Greek Patriot system launched two ​missiles but not giving details on the origin of the ‌drone ⁠and the ballistic missile. A second source confirmed the information. It was the fifth time the Greek-operated system had been used in combat since ​the US ​and Israel ⁠launched their war with Iran at the end of February, underscoring ​the widening military role of European ​allies ⁠in defending Gulf energy infrastructure. Since 2021, Greece has deployed a US-made Patriot air defence battery operated ⁠by ​Greek personnel in Saudi ​Arabia, under an agreement to help protect the kingdom's energy ​facilities. Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Makkah, Taif, and the northwestern region of Tabuk, following earlier emergency warnings for those areas, as well as Jeddah and Yanbu. In separate all-clear notices, the agency urged residents to continue following its instructions and to avoid gathering or filming. Makkah, Taif and Jeddah are in western Saudi Arabia. Yanbu is a Red Sea port city farther north, while Tabuk is in the kingdom’s northwest. The Civil Defence had issued warnings through the national early warning platform about a “potential danger.” The notices did not specify the threat or report casualties or damage. Saudi Arabia has faced a series of missile and drone attacks attributed to the Houthis in recent days. Iran may expand war to Indian Ocean if US attacks again: supreme leader's adviser Iran may expand the Middle East war to the Indian Ocean if the US or Israel attacks again, said an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. “We do not know what is going on in the minds of (US President) Trump and (Israeli Premier) Netanyahu,” Safavi said. He said Iranian forces had prepared for the worst-case scenarios in the event of further US or Israeli attacks on the country’s facilities or national interests. In that event, he warned, the scope of the conflict would widen. “Now that the war has spread from the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that, in the next stage of a potential war with the US, this front could expand further, to the Indian Ocean or elsewhere,” he said. Iran misreading US political system by waiting for midterms: Rubio Iran is misreading the US political system if it believes the November midterm elections could restrict President Donald Trump’s ability to act against Tehran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday. “I think the Iranians are under this illusion that Democrats are going to win in November, and the president will no longer be able to do things against them,” Rubio told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Rubio said Tehran appeared not to understand the division of powers in the US, arguing that while Congress plays an important role, the president retains extensive authority over national security matters. “When it comes to the national security of our country, when it comes to the imposition of both sanctions and the use of military force, the president has extraordinary powers,” he said, pointing to Trump’s constitutional role as commander-in-chief. His remarks came one day after Trump said he believed Washington would reach an agreement with Iran following the Nov. 3 midterm elections. “I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, claiming Iranian leaders were waiting to see how his Republican Party performed in the vote. Rubio said the outcome of the elections would not change Trump’s approach, describing Iran’s nuclear program as a national security issue rather than a matter of domestic politics. “For him, the Iranian issue is not a political issue,” he said. Rubio argued that US presidents and most countries had agreed for nearly five decades that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon but had repeatedly failed to take sufficient action. Trump, he said, was prepared to act despite the associated costs because the consequences of failing to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran would be “substantially higher,” particularly for future generations. Iran cancels all flights to United Arab Emirates All flights operated by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled since midnight, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported Thursday, citing a spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation. It also reported that a Tehran-Dushanbe flight was forced to return to Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran after Turkmenistan did not grant permission for Iranian airlines to fly through its airspace. The spokesman said the flight was unable to land at its destination because Turkmenistan had not issued permission for Iranian airlines to cross its airspace, forcing it to return to Tehran. Iran has seen inaction, not neutrality from some countries during war: Pezeshkian Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday that inaction, rather than neutrality, was seen from some countries during the recent war, calling on European states to reconsider their approach and maintain greater independence, according to IRNA. Meeting on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian said European countries deprived themselves of a role in international developments by aligning with hostile US actions. Iran saw inaction, not neutrality, during recent war: @drpezeshkian https://t.co/ZeqQS6PY9a pic.twitter.com/KmgkE6VcVu — IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) September 24, 2026 He criticised Europe’s approach to the snapback mechanism and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying European governments’ positions reduced their ability to influence international developments. He also referred to comments by the NATO secretary general about European countries’ assistance to the United States during the war and called for a reassessment of European policies. Pezeshkian said regional security should be the responsibility of countries in the region, stressing that Western intervention has adversely affected security beyond the region. Costa called for a European role in addressing regional issues, while Pezeshkian said Europe’s alignment with Washington had limited its ability to play such a role. In a separate message carried by ISNA and Al Mayadeen, Pezeshkian said that Tehran used its appearance at the UN General Assembly to defend Iran’s position and respond to US policies, revealing that he moved away from his prepared remarks after hearing US President Donald Trump’s speech. “We had prepared a text in advance for the UN General Assembly, but after listening to Trump’s speech, we departed from the prepared text to express the realities being imposed by the United States,” Pezeshkian said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran used its appearance at the UN General Assembly to defend Iran’s position and respond to US policies, revealing that he departed from his prepared remarks after hearing US President Donald Trump’s speech. “We had… pic.twitter.com/JfpJWI4jPn — Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 24, 2026 He accused Washington of acting “in violation of laws and humanitarian frameworks,” adding that it does “nothing but use force and commit acts against humanity.” پزشکیان: در مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل از حقانیت ملت ایران دفاع کردم -ملت ریشه‌دار و متمدن ایران نابود شدنی نیست ۱/۲ pic.twitter.com/axmvyjzLqJ — خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) September 24, 2026 He also rejected attempts to pressure Iran, saying, “They cannot eliminate Iran. Iran is a country deeply rooted in history, and despite all the pressure they exert, our people remain steadfast.” "We tried to express the realities that America imposes on our nation and the world." Iranian FM spokesperson rebukes Canadian PM for calling ‘annihilation’ threat ‘language of war’ Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Thursday criticised Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for “reframing a threat to 'annihilate' Iran as merely 'speaking the language of war'”. Baghaei on X said that “Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the shelter of illusion and hypocrisy endure forever.” He has added that “those who sought refuge in the long shadow of American bullying” would eventually learn that “averting their eyes from reality and bartering away their dignity and self-respect buys no salvation.” To the Canadian Prime Minister who, instead of condemning U.S. blatant aggression and warmongering, chose to appease Washington by reframing a threat to "annihilate" Iran as merely "speaking the language of war": Mark Carney must understand that time is too ruthless to let the… pic.twitter.com/87XRoT8cjc — Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) September 24, 2026 He also stated that “they will see that the nation they once conspired with empires to crush was the solitary guardian of a sacred flame” which "kept a torch burning" against coercion, "a torch that, if allowed to die, would leave humanity with nothing but the cold embrace of naked force, burying the civilised and humane altars of reason beneath the brutal logic of might." US Treasury Secretary questions how Iran’s UN delegation will get home as sanctions disrupt flights US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he wondered how the Iranian delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York would return home as American sanctions continued to squeeze the country’s international airline operations. “In terms of Operation Economic Outcast, we are squeezing the Iranians like they've never seen today,” he said. He said the campaign was affecting Iran's international air links, claiming that more than 80% to 90% of external flights from Iran had been shut down. Bessent also warned financial institutions, companies and other businesses supporting Iran that Washington would target their operations and bank accounts. "We have made it very clear around the world, whether it's the financiers, the people who are doing business, the people who are supplying the Iranians, we know who you are, you know who you are," he said. He described the US strategy as a combination of military action, a naval blockade and financial pressure. "So we had six weeks of kinetic activity. We have the blockade. And now we have an effort never seen before in terms of constricting and cutting off the financial oxygen to them," he said. He said Washington's pressure campaign could continue for weeks or months, adding that the US was seeking one of three possible outcomes: divisions within the Iranian leadership, an uprising by the Iranian population, or an agreement under which Tehran would comply with its commitments. Bessent also said the US had attempted to reach an agreement with Iran earlier in the year but accused Tehran of subsequently escalating attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. "If there is a deal, I guarantee you they're going to stick with it," he said. Yemeni government forces stop Houthi attack near key southern provinces The Yemeni government’s armed forces thwarted an attack and infiltration attempts by the Houthis aiming to reach positions near the road linking the southern and southwestern provinces of Aden, Taiz and Lahj, the Ministry of Defence has said in a statement, Al Jazeera reported. BREAKING: Yemeni government forces thwart Houthi attack near key southern provinces 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/yIoLRqH3fa pic.twitter.com/GP4Oefje3j — Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) September 24, 2026 According to the official spokesperson of the Yemeni armed forces, “clashes ensued”, which forced “the attackers to retreat” and inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment. Read: Iran says it conveyed conditions for reviving diplomacy with US through Qatar “We affirm that our armed forces stationed on those fronts have regained the initiative, are highly prepared, and continue to repel attacks and infiltration attempts,” the spokesperson has said. Shipping traffic via Strait of Hormuz stays lower than 10-day average, data shows Ten commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, up from seven a day earlier and below the 10-day moving average of about 17, preliminary shipping data showed on Thursday. Nine vessels entered the strait, including Supramax ships carrying metals, grain and other dry bulk cargoes, as well as an empty very large gas carrier. One Supramax carrying fertiliser exited, according to the data, as of 0923 PKT on Thursday. The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their transponders turned off to avoid detection. Before the US-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large, commercial vessels a day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels, accounting for some 20% of the world’s daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply. Read more: US president open to making a deal with Iran: Rubio Iran and the US remain far apart on how to end the war, but diplomacy must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, after Iran's president told the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran would never surrender to US pressure. The senior Iranian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Tehran was reviewing Washington's response to its peace proposals, which prioritise lifting a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 27 commodity vessels transited the waterway on Wednesday, up from 24 the day before and compared with an average of 26 ships using the strait over the past 10 days. EU's Costa urges Iran to resume cooperation with IAEA European Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday he spoke with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and urged Iran to resume its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Costa also called for an end to Iran's strikes against its neighbours and the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump should press Xi to stop support for Iran, Democratic senator says US Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said on Wednesday President Donald Trump should press Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit this week over China's support for Iran, saying that Chinese firms were helping Tehran economically and militarily. In a Senate speech, Shaheen cited reports that Iran obtained high-resolution satellite imagery of a base in Jordan from Chinese entities before launching a missile attack that killed three American soldiers and wounded four others. She noted that about 90% of Iran's oil exports go to China and provided it with "billions of dollars of revenue" and a "critical economic lifeline." Shaheen said Chinese and Hong Kong companies had also supplied components used in Iranian ballistic missiles and drones She urged Trump to "use his leverage" with Xi to stop Chinese firms from providing satellite imagery, missile and drone parts and access to markets for sanctioned Iranian oil. "If we want to bring this war to an end, we need to cut off the outside support that allows Iran to keep fighting, and that starts with China," she said. Shaheen said the administration should enforce sanctions against Chinese entities helping Iran, "and if China doesn't stop, Congress should impose additional consequences." She said Trump should also consider using authorities in recently enacted Russian sanctions legislation against Chinese purchasers of Russian energy, arguing that China was "the top funder of the war in Ukraine, as well as being one of the top funders of the war in Iran."