Sunday 20 September 2026 07:30 UTC
Houthi Attacks Put Saudi Arabia and US Embassies on Alert
The Houthis said they attacked an Aramco facility in Yanbu and would keep targeting Saudi military buildups until the blockade ends. A separate account said they hit fuel storage at Riyadh International Airport. Saudi aircraft struck Houthi positions near Ta’izz in Yemen. The United States issued security warnings across nine Middle Eastern countries, telling Americans to prepare for cancelled flights and closed airspace. Iran said Qatar had delivered Tehran’s conditions for ending the war to Washington and that it awaited Donald Trump’s response.
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Oil and liquefied natural gas traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reached a six-month high as US forces cleared mines and protected shipping. Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said American forces had helped more than 2,000 vessels carrying over one billion barrels of crude pass through in recent months. He also said Iran had exported no crude since America restored its blockade.
Fires broke out at Moscow’s largest refinery after a claimed Ukrainian drone attack. Neither Russia nor Ukraine formally confirmed responsibility, and the damage was unclear. The Kapotnya refinery supplies an estimated 35%–40% of Moscow’s fuel and has suffered repeated strikes since June. Industry estimates put full repairs from earlier damage at as much as $1 billion.
Western intelligence officials believe Russia is preparing to intensify its war and attacks against European countries. Russia was said to have reserved 20,000 hospital beds in its northwestern regions for military casualties. Germany is preparing hospitals for a possible Russia-NATO conflict, estimating that up to 1,000 casualties a day could need treatment. It has also begun compulsory military-fitness examinations for 18-year-old men, with nearly 1,000 summonses issued since July.