Houthis say Saudi Arabia launched 26 strikes in Yemen in 24 hours
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday that Saudi Arabia had carried out 26 airstrikes against areas under their control over the previous 24 hours, as fighting intensifies between the group and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
The Houthis said the number of Saudi strikes on areas they control had reached 300 over the past week.
Fighting in southwestern Yemen has intensified in recent days as the Houthis pushed towards the Red Sea coast in a surprise offensive.
Saudi Arabia has supported Yemeni government forces seeking to retake territory from the Houthis.
Riyadh has significant strategic interests in Yemen, with millions of barrels of oil passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea.
Shweta Sharma19 September 2026 06:22
Saudi Arabia issues alerts for Riyadh and Al-Kharj amid Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence issued alerts for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj, east of the capital, on Saturday before later issuing an all-clear.
The alerts were the second issued in the area and the first for Riyadh since Iran-aligned Houthi forces in neighbouring Yemen intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia.
According to eyewitnesses, two booms were heard in Riyadh’s Olaya district.
The alerts came hours after the Houthis’ military spokesperson said the group had foiled unspecified “criminal attempts” in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia and vowing a response. Saudi Arabia’s government media office did not immediately comment.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and the country’s most populous areas, have launched attacks towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, including strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
The Iran-aligned group says the Saudi air force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in recent days.
The UN Security Council on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms” continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes affecting civilian and energy infrastructure that have injured civilians, including women and children.
The council also condemned the Houthis’ “military escalation in Yemen”.
Shweta Sharma19 September 2026 06:05
ICYMI: Hundreds of thousands rally in Tehran as Iran launches mass volunteer recruitment campaign
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Friday in the largest state-organised demonstration since the war began in February.
Female members of Iranian militia forces in Tehran on Friday (Reuters)
Marching in combat uniforms, participants pledged readiness to take up arms under “Janfaday-e Iran” (“Those who sacrifice their lives for Iran”) – a government campaign to train citizens with assault rifles to reinforce the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia.
Officials claim over 600,000 volunteers have registered, aiming to train over 1 million.
The rally featured military hardware displays – including anti-aircraft batteries and drones – as leaders sought to project national unity amid a crippling US naval blockade.
Suha Kidwai19 September 2026 04:00
Saudi Arabia issues emergency alerts over potential Iranian threats
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued emergency alerts on Friday night warning of “potential danger” across key strategic and urban centres, including Jeddah, Taif in Mecca province, Khamis Mushait, and AlUla.
The alerts highlight growing domestic insecurity within the kingdom as the war expands along the Red Sea coast.
Earlier this week, Saudi air defence batteries intercepted an incoming Houthi drone south of Mecca – marking the first time emergency warning systems have ever been activated in the holy city.
With fighting intensifying in neighbouring Yemen, Saudi coalition forces have responded with over 300 retaliatory air strikes against Houthi targets to halt advances toward vital maritime routes.
Suha Kidwai19 September 2026 03:00
US blockade has now redirected 105 vessels, military says
US Central Command has redirected 105 commercial vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz, it says.
The total reflects an increase of one ship over the past 24 hours as US naval assets, including the USS Boxer amphibious ready group, maintain a heavy presence in the region.
The on-and-off blockade has persisted for five months, bringing severe shocks to the global energy trade (Reuters)
Military tracking data shows that the blockade has effectively immobilised over 30 million barrels of Iranian crude within the Persian Gulf.
Outside the Gulf, an additional 60 million-plus barrels – valued at nearly $9 billion and carried aboard sanctioned vessels – continue to bypass direct interception but are being offloaded at a significantly reduced pace compared to normal operations.
The tightening naval perimeter continues to severely restrict Tehran’s maritime exports and hard currency revenues amid escalating regional conflict.
Suha Kidwai19 September 2026 02:00
Saudi launched 26 strikes in Yemen in past 24 hours, Houthis say
Yemen’s Ansar Allah – popularly termed the Houthis – say Saudi Arabia has carried out 26 air strikes on their positions over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Saudi raids to 300 over the last week.
Supporters of Ansar Allah hold flags during a protest against Saudi intervention in Yemen on Friday (AFP/Getty)
The barrage comes as fighting escalates between the group and Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government forces following a Houthi attempt to push toward the Red Sea coast.
Saudi forces have since intervened with heavy air support in an attempt to halt the advance and help government troops reclaim lost territory.
The revived civil war directly threatens critical maritime infrastructure along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow southern entrance to the Red Sea through which millions of barrels of Saudi crude transit daily.
Suha Kidwai19 September 2026 01:00
US midterm voters weigh in on Iran war as voting begins
As early voting for the US midterm elections got underway in Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Idaho on Friday, the ongoing conflict with Iran emerged as a focal issue driving voters to the polls.
Voters casting early ballots cited the war as a primary motivation, reflecting broader national anxieties over prolonged foreign intervention and economic fallout.
The war on Iran is set to play a large role in the decisions made by voters (AP)
In South Dakota, Diane Briest, whose son was disabled in Iraq, stated she voted Democratic due to fears of endless war, criticising Congress for failing to check executive authority.
In Virginia, conservative voter William Curry noted that while he largely supports President Trump, the administration is “in a mess he can’t get rid of” in Iran.
The conflict continues to intersect with domestic economic concerns, particularly rising gas prices and inflation triggered by Middle East instability and shipping disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
With control of Congress at stake, candidates on both sides are navigating heightened public scrutiny over the war’s financial and human costs.
Suha Kidwai19 September 2026 00:00
US troop deaths in Iran war exceed Pentagon count by at least four, says report
More US service members have died during the war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, according to internal Defence Department casualty data cited by The Washington Post.
Six US officials familiar with internal casualty accounting revealed there have been at least 22 military fatalities — four more than the 18 deaths officially listed on the Pentagon’s public database. Five of the officials confirmed the higher toll.
The discrepancy highlights ongoing transparency concerns surrounding casualty reporting during the conflict. While the exact identities and circumstances behind the undisclosed fatalities remain unconfirmed, officials noted that not all omitted deaths were direct combat casualties, with some involving service members stationed in the region as hostilities escalated.
The Defence Department has not yet provided a public explanation for the gap between its internal records and public tracking systems.
Suha Kidwai18 September 2026 23:00
More pictures from Iran regime march
(AP)(AP)(Reuters)
Sam Rkaina18 September 2026 22:00
US Air Force officer recalls ‘free-falling’ to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
US Air Force officer recalls ‘free-falling’ to ground with damaged parachute after plane was shot down over Iran
Maira Butt18 September 2026 21:00
