The Saudi coalition intercepts Houthi missiles, Iran suspends its flights to the Emirates, and oil prices decline

The Saudi-led military coalition supporting the government in Yemen announced that its forces intercepted on Thursday (September 24, 2026) six ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis, saying it had thwarted attacks on the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said in a series of posts on the X platform, “The escalation and violations of the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly.”

Earlier today, in publications on the

The Houthis announce the launch of a large operation inside the Kingdom

For its part, the Houthi group announced the implementation of a large-scale military operation targeting "Saudi concentrations" in the Tuwal area in Jizan, with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a statement today, "The operation targeted the operations, command and control rooms, weapons stores and other sites, in addition to missile launch sites and platforms in the Al-Dagharir camp in Jizan."

He added that the operation also included a number of "Saudi enemy" camps in the region, noting that the attacks "were precise and direct." He claimed that the operation "resulted in the killing and wounding of hundreds of members of the Saudi enemy's mobilizations," in addition to "dozens of Saudi enemy personnel and officers." He also said that it "led to the destruction and burning of a number of weapons depots." Saudi Arabia did not confirm this.

The spokesman stressed that his group would continue to "respond to sources of threat, respond to any aggression, and target all hostile movements wherever they may be," and impose what he described as the equation of "siege with siege and escalation with escalation until the Saudi aggression stops and the siege is ended."

Iranian media reported on Thursday (September 24, 2026) that Iranian airlines were banned from operating flights to the United Arab Emirates in light of the aforementioned country’s commitment to US sanctions. The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported that “all flights operated by Iranian airlines to the United Arab Emirates have been canceled since midnight.”

A passenger told Agence France-Presse that an Iran Air flight heading from Tehran to Dubai was canceled shortly before its scheduled departure in the morning. Dubai is the most prominent destination in the Middle East for Iranian airlines, which used to fly daily flights to it.

Dubai Airport was also considered one of the most prominent stops for Iranians traveling to Europe, Asia and Africa, and a final destination for many businessmen coming from Iran. Currently, Türkiye is the most suitable option for Iranians wishing to leave or return to their country.

In early September, the United States imposed sanctions on the entire Iranian aviation sector, vowing not to be lenient with foreign companies that provide it with assistance. These companies were given until September 23 to comply, by stopping supplying kerosene fuel to Iranian aircraft, for example.

Failure to comply with the US ban exposes these companies to the risk of being blacklisted, thus isolating them from the dollar financial system.

Oil prices fell today, Thursday (September 24, 2026), after rising by four percent during the previous session, at a time when Iran announced that it was still open to diplomacy to end the war with the United States. Brent crude futures fell 94 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $102.13 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 59 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $91.56.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters yesterday, Wednesday, that the positions of Iran and the United States are still far apart on how to end the war, but diplomatic efforts must continue, after the Iranian president stated before the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran will never yield to American pressure.

The official added that Tehran is studying Washington's response to its proposals to end the war. The proposals focus on lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The official said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the naval blockade imposed by Washington on Iran were discussed during indirect talks on Tuesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened unless Iran's conditions are met. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that reaching an agreement with Iran will require hard work over a period of time, adding that Trump also has military options.