Diplomatic efforts are continuing across the region this weekend, as Saudi Arabia responds to ongoing Houthi attacks and attention remains on tensions between the US and Iran. Here’s a round-up of this evening’s key developments, along with the flight updates. With schedules on some regional routes still changing, travellers are advised to follow official channels and check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
Here are the key developments from today, followed by the flight updates you need for the days ahead.
Iran said on Saturday that US military ships would not be allowed to enter the Gulf “under any circumstances,” with armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi saying President Donald Trump would “take that dream to his grave,” according to Iranian state television. The remarks came after US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Washington could strike Iran as soon as this weekend.
The USS George Washington is being rearmed in the Arabian Sea, with sailors loading munitions including bunker-buster bombs and standoff land-attack missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. The weapons are suited to striking underground nuclear sites and heavily fortified military infrastructure.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards the cities of Taif and Yanbu on Saturday. Earlier in the day, it said it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh, where two explosions were heard after an early warning alert, and downed a drone over the Eastern Province.
Saudi airstrikes hit Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, and the surrounding governorate on Saturday, according to the group’s Al-Masirah broadcaster. It said a strike on a house in the west of the capital killed at least three people and wounded several others, with a strike on a cement factory also causing casualties, and reported around 20 strikes on Mocha. The tolls have not been independently confirmed.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of crude struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, leaving both disabled and abandoned by their crews. Separately, UKMTO said a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile near Limah, Oman, on October 22, but was able to continue its voyage.
Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up plans to target undersea internet cables in the Gulf if the US and Israel launch fresh attacks. Analysts say the global impact could be limited, but damage could affect connectivity across the Gulf.
US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned on Friday that Iran has “substantially increased” efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. Washington this week ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are meeting their UK, French and German counterparts in Istanbul to discuss Iran and Yemen, with Egypt urging de-escalation and US-Iran dialogue. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, October 27, during a summit of gas-exporting countries.
All beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain remain temporarily closed after a tanker oil spill reached the emirate’s shoreline, and Sharjah has closed Al Hamriya Beach as a precaution. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment says odours noticed in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain pose no health risk, and clean-up operations are under way.
Flights between the UAE and Saudi Arabia remain the most affected. Check your flight status with your airline before leaving for the airport.
Etihad Airways: All Abu Dhabi flights to and from Dammam and Riyadh, and Jeddah flights EY601 to EY604, are cancelled through November 5.
Emirates: Several Dubai services to and from Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh are cancelled, along with some Medina return flights. Codeshare flights with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv remain suspended.
Routes returning: Up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe will resume from late October to December, and services to Athens and Manila are being restored.
If your flight is delayed or cancelled, complain first to your airline or travel agent. If you’re not satisfied, you can escalate to the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority within 14 days.
