In the Saudi Arabia area there are currently around 500 soldiers, divided into an air task force and a land task force. The Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, said this, responding at the hearing on the attack on the Ta'if base and the presence of Italian soldiers in Saudi Arabia. And he added: "Saudi Arabia asks for our help to defend itself from possible attacks".
The Pentagon instructed the United States Central Command (Centcom) a few days ago to complete preparations for the resumption of large-scale combat operations against Iran. Axios reports it, citing US officials. The directive did not indicate a specific date for the start of the attacks, and President Donald Trump has not yet made any final decisions. However, US and Israeli sources said the action could take place before the November midterms and, perhaps, before the Israeli elections a week earlier. In the crosshairs, Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear objectives.
Oil tanker attacked off the coast of Qatar, as reported by the British monitoring agency Ukmto: there are victims. Three people died and 36 were injured in attacks on two international airports in Saudi Arabia, Abha and King Khalid in Riyadh. This was announced by the Saudi civil aviation authority, following claims by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran.
"There are currently around 500 soldiers in the Saudi Arabia area, divided into an air task force and a land task force. And their presence is not configured as a new mission, but is the result of the repositioning of forces that are part of 'Inherent Resolve', announced and discussed in all parliamentary fora". This was stated by the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, during a hearing before the Foreign and Defense Commissions of the Chamber and Senate on the attack on the Taif base and the presence of Italian soldiers in Saudi Arabia. "Parliament - the minister reiterated - has always been adequately involved in the decision to reposition existing military capabilities within the organizational perimeter".
"You ask me why in Saudi Arabia. First of all because this was the option deemed most appropriate on a technical-operational level by the Defense General Staff. Secondly because this partner country has asked and continues to ask for our help to defend itself from possible attacks". This was stated by the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, responding at the hearing on the attack on the Ta'if base and on the presence of Italian soldiers in Saudi Arabia. "It is a fundamental country for supporting the balance of peace in the Middle East, and more generally it is one of the interlocutors with whom we have long initiated forms of support and dialogue - he reiterates - Saudi Arabia is also, in the area, the largest producer of oil, an energy source to which the economic effects are visible to all. Regional security and peace, moreover, require constant presence, availability and cooperation, but above all commitment in the most difficult moments".
The United Kingdom will maintain a "mission" in East Jerusalem to guarantee "essential services", after the closure of the British consulate decided by Israel. The Foreign Office announced this in a statement. "Following talks with the Israeli Government, our Consulate General building will not close its doors and will from today be called the United Kingdom Mission in Jerusalem," the British Foreign Office said. The headquarters "will continue to provide essential services and carry out its work alongside the Palestinian people." Israel announced in September the closure of the consulate in response to sanctions imposed by London against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel closes the British consulate in East Jerusalem today in response to London's ban on trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Minister, specifying that the consul general and 20 members of the diplomatic staff "will terminate their duties and leave Israel". The decision comes after the British government accused the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians. On 8 September, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons that a "new approach" was needed because development plans in the West Bank would make a two-state solution "unworkable". "The British Government agrees that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by terrorist settlers is taking place in some areas of the West Bank," Miliband said. “Too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye and, worse yet, some of its members have made statements and taken actions in support of the forced displacement of Palestinians.” The British measures, criticized by Israel and the United States, include a ban on imports from illegal West Bank settlements and sanctions on people and businesses providing services to settlers. During the night, Reuters journalists saw some workers remove a plaque from the consulate reading "British Consulate General" and another sign of the consular section.
Hezbollah received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by the war with Israel. Reuters writes online, citing two people with direct knowledge of the transfer, while the United States has disputed this statement: State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement that the money "does not exist", accusing Hezbollah of "trying to save face with false stories about cash inflows from Iran". According to a Treasury Department spokesperson, Iran is "strapped for cash" and "does not have the money needed to finance its campaign of terror." According to the sources, Hezbollah received the money last month, despite the growing US economic stranglehold on Iran and increasing difficulties in getting funds to Tehran's Lebanese ally. The intermediaries who transferred the money applied a 20% commission, a figure that reflects the risks associated with relationships with the group; one of the sources specified that this commission is four times higher than the usual one. When asked about this, a Hezbollah official declared that a sum of money had been found and that a plan for its distribution would be announced in the coming days, without however providing details on the source of the funds. According to one of the sources, Hezbollah would use the funds to provide an initial sum of $3,000 per family, giving priority to those whose villages have been destroyed or are inaccessible due to the Israeli occupation; these are approximately 50,000 families. Iran had promised Hezbollah funds after signing an interim deal with Washington in June that allowed the Islamic Republic to sell its oil. This agreement then fell through in July.
The number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in more than two months, according to analytics firm Kpler. This was reported by the international media including Al Jazeera. The drop follows a record number of attacks on oil tankers since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began. Seven ships used for the transport of raw materials crossed the strait on Tuesday; this is the lowest figure since July 23, as highlighted by Kpler data. “The volume of crude oil passing through the strait fell 27% from the peak recorded the previous week – during the conflict – to at least 10.1 million barrels per day,” reported Kpler analysts Emmanuel Belostrino and Yui Torikata. "We have returned to the September average, a value equal to 74% of pre-conflict levels." The number of ships transiting the strait rose slightly to 10 on Wednesday, but remained well below the more than 20 units recorded daily on Sunday and Monday. In the last two days, the number of ships entering the strait has exceeded that of ships leaving.
An oil tanker sailing off the northern coast of Qatar was attacked, resulting in an unknown number of casualties. This was reported by the British maritime safety agency Ukmto. The attack came as Iran announced the closure of a route in the Strait of Hormuz used to bypass a naval blockade imposed by Tehran. The ship was in the Gulf, about 500km west of the Strait of Hormuz, when it reported being hit "by several projectiles", the UK Maritime Trade Operations Authority said. The British authority did not specify the origin of the ship. Wednesday's attack comes as attacks on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz have reached the highest weekly level since the war with Iran began, according to maritime security firms, with oil prices topping $100 a barrel.
Yemen's Houthis said today they had hit the main international airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh with a ballistic missile, yet another attack on Saudi claimed by the Iran-backed group. The claim came a day after anti-government fighters announced the launch of a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia - which cost the lives of three people - and after the Yemeni government, supported by Riyadh, announced a vast counteroffensive against the Houthis. "Our armed forces successfully hit Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport using a ballistic missile; the carrier hit the target accurately, causing the disruption of airport operations," military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X. It is the third time this week that the group has claimed responsibility for an attack on the airport. “We reiterate our appeal and warning – for the last time – to all international airlines not to continue operating flights through Saudi airspace,” Saree added.
