Supporters of Yemen’s Houthi rebels shout slogans during a rally in support of the group in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.
Osamah Abdulrahman/AP
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Osamah Abdulrahman/AP
Saudi Arabia on Saturday said that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile, the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war.
The statement said the attack was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion, and later some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — and in Taif, Baysh and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details.
The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing “massive fires.” Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran sends US conditions for ending the war
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, told Al Jazeera in an interview that Iran has conveyed its conditions for ending the war to the U.S. via Qatar and it is waiting for President Donald Trump’s response.
It was not clear when the conditions were shared. Rezaei said they include ending the war on all fronts, releasing assets seized from Iran and ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. Earlier U.S.-Iran negotiations fell apart.
He also said Iran wants the fighting involving Yemen and Saudi Arabia to end.
US military says oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz
The head of U.S. Central Command said the military has supported the transit of 1 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months and claimed that Iran has “exported zero barrels” because of a U.S. blockade.
Adm. Brad Cooper said the strait’s primary transit lanes have been cleared of mines, and the volume of oil, natural gas and cargo transiting over the past two weeks is the highest it has been in six months — or shortly after the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes.
But monitors say shipping traffic remains well below prewar levels. Iran continues to attack ships as it asserts control over the waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war.
Pakistani and Iranian foreign ministers talk shipping safety
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed uninterrupted energy supplies and safe passage for commercial ships during a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Dar cited the potential effects of disruptions on developing countries and global supply chains.
Rising energy prices have increased pressure on Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. An Islamist party has threatened to march on the capital, Islamabad, unless the government lowers fuel prices.
Iran race managers charged for allowing women to run without headscarves
Iran’s state TV said the Tehran prosecutor’s office filed charges against race organizers after women participated without covering their hair because “legal and Islamic Sharia” wasn’t observed.
The country’s ruling theocracy requires women to wear scarves that cover their hair and loose-fitting clothes that hide their bodies.
Footage circulated online shows women running the 10-kilometer (6-mile) race without the hair covering. Habib Sotoudehnejad, head of Tehran’s sports department, said about 5% of participants violated race rules. The race was run separately for men and women.
Turkey suggests military support for the Saudis
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested Turkey could provide military support to Saudi Arabia under a recently signed defense pact.
Asked in a TV interview about the possibility of the three-member alliance, which also includes Pakistan, engaging in military action against Yemen’s Houthis, Fidan said Turkey would “face no difficulty in meeting” any military needs.
“We observe very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he told broadcaster NTV. “We have an alliance agreement in place and we stand by our word.”
