An "unidentified" attack targets two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and sources talk about Saudi planning to launch an attack on the Houthis.
Published 3 October 2026, 03:45 GMT
Last updated 1 minute ago
Reading time: 5 minutes
Two tankers were attacked while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority, in the latest threat to shipping traffic in the strategic waterway.
In the first attack, the authority said that the captain reported that the tanker was “struck by an unspecified projectile while it was sailing out of the strait, which led to a small fire and a power outage on board.”
She added, "The fire has been extinguished, and the ship continues its voyage," noting that there were no reports of injuries or environmental impact.
Hours later, a crude oil tanker reported being hit by an “unidentified projectile” east of Oman, also without any casualties among crew members or any environmental damage, according to the British Authority.
The authority stated that the authorities are investigating these incidents.
The Strait of Hormuz, which was a passage for about a fifth of the world's energy supplies, has become at the heart of the conflict that the United States and Israel sparked in late February by launching strikes against Iran.
Since then, the Islamic Republic has been obstructing navigation in the strait and firing at ships it accuses of crossing unauthorized routes, while Washington is imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in response.
"secret meeting"
Speaking about the attacks, the Saudi Civil Defense spoke early on Saturday of intercepting a ballistic missile in the Uhud Rafidah Governorate in the Asir region, and the fragments caused a person to be injured, while the Ansar Allah Houthi group was accused of launching it.
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On Friday, regional and Western officials said that Saudi Arabia is planning to launch an attack on the militants of the Yemeni Houthi movement allied with Iran, according to what Reuters reported.
Six people familiar with the preparations for the operation, which is expected to launch in the coming weeks, said that the Yemeni forces supervised by Riyadh will lead the operation on the ground, with support from Saudi air strikes.
They stated that one of the main goals of the planned Saudi attack is to stop the rapid gains made by the Houthis last month when they advanced on the coast and took control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Gulf and Yemeni officials said that Saudi Arabia is considering two possible attack options: either a limited-scale attack on the area surrounding the Bab al-Mandab Strait, or another, broader attack that also includes simultaneous attacks on multiple fronts throughout Yemen, in the governorates of Al-Bayda, Ma’rib, Taiz, and Al-Jawf.
It is expected that American support for this operation will be limited to providing intelligence information, while countries such as Türkiye, Pakistan and France have provided defensive military assistance to the Kingdom, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Axios reported on Friday that senior members of US President Donald Trump's government held a "secret meeting" chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance, at the presidential retreat at Camp David, to discuss the next steps regarding the war with Iran and the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.
Meanwhile, two Pakistani officials said that last month, their country sent four cargo planes loaded with military equipment to Aden - the headquarters of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, in addition to deploying between 30 and 40 thousand Pakistani soldiers in Saudi Arabia to help defend the Kingdom’s land borders.
As for Türkiye, Saudi Arabia purchased Turkish drones before the current war, and they were also deployed over Yemen.
Meanwhile, France announced that it would send defense systems and forces to Saudi Arabia to help protect the coastal city of Yanbu overlooking the Red Sea.
On the ground, the spokesman for the Yemeni forces in the internationally recognized government said that the forces “carried out 71 precise targeting operations” against what he described as “Houthi gatherings, combat buildups, and reinforcements” in several areas in Taiz Governorate, noting that the operations resulted in “the destruction of a number of hostile means of transportation and support, the neutralization of militia members, and the loss of their formations’ ability to continue fighting,” as he described it.
On the other hand, the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, accused Saudi Arabia of “launching 94 air strikes and missiles” during the past 24 hours, “targeting civilian objects” in Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Amran, and Ibb, pointing out that there were deaths and injuries among civilians.
The total number of Saudi raids reached “1,350 air strikes and missiles,” “since the start of the escalation,” according to Sarie.
Iranian proposal
In this context, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that Iran proposed to engage politically with the Ansar Allah Houthi group after the attacks it launched, a proposal that a committee affiliated with the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement will discuss at an emergency meeting in Riyadh next week.
The minister stated in a press conference that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, the three members of the agreement, will determine the next steps during the meeting, and that its date will be determined later.
He explained that Iran has distanced itself from the Houthis and the Iraqi armed factions, and that President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi want to resolve this matter. He added that he informed Tehran of the terms of the agreement and how Pakistan is committed to it.
He added: "There is no coherent written proposal. The matter is still in the process of exchanging ideas between two foreign ministers," describing the political approach as a proposal presented in good faith and will be discussed as an alternative to "military action."
"40 flights a day between Iraq and Iran"
In another context, Baghdad announced on Friday that it had obtained an American exemption from the sanctions allowing Iranian airlines, with the exception of Mahan, to operate dozens of flights daily to and from Najaf airport, days after a similar exemption was granted to Iraqi Airlines.
The office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, said that the agreement came within the framework of the government’s efforts to resume air traffic and facilitate travel for visitors, patients, tourists and students, and after a series of contacts and follow-ups with the concerned parties.
The Prime Minister appreciated what he described as the US government's "positive response" to the Iraqi efforts and its cooperation in granting the requested exception, considering that dialogue and diplomatic channels contributed to finding practical solutions to the issue.
Al-Zaidi said that air traffic “does not merely represent transport traffic between two airports,” pointing out its importance to patients, visitors, and families, in addition to its role in tourism, the economy, and community communication.
During a chat with reporters at the White House, Trump said he believes Iran is involved in the operation, explaining, “I say the answer is yes, based on what I hear, but we are working on this matter at this very moment.”
Accordingly, the Israeli airline "El Al" announced the cancellation of flights scheduled for Friday to return Israelis from Dubai, after "Fly Dubai" suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv, while the Ministry of Transport clarified that Israel has not yet obtained the required approval from the United Arab Emirates to operate flights.
