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US-Iran War Updates: Saudi Arabia Condemns 'Cowardly Terrorist Attack' By Houthis On Mecca
US-Iran War Updates: US forces destroyed two Iranian boats that US officials said were attempting to seize an American naval drone in waters near Iran.
US-Iran War Updates: The US-Iran war is continuing to put pressure on shipping and energy markets, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major flashpoint.
On Monday, US forces destroyed two Iranian boats that US officials said were attempting to seize an American naval drone in waters near Iran. Iran’s media gave a different account, saying the boats were fishing vessels.
Meanwhile, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply. Only four commodity vessels crossed the waterway on Monday, compared with a pre-war average of about 125 daily transits.
The economic fallout is growing. Oil prices rose sharply on Tuesday after attacks disrupted Saudi crude exports from the Yanbu hub, with Brent settling at $108.75 a barrel.
The latest developments come as a Congressional Budget Office report puts the US cost of the war at about $38 billion through August 1, with monthly costs potentially reaching $3 billion if fighting intensifies.
The report also warns that the conflict has depleted US missile-defence stocks and could leave the Pentagon with fewer interceptors for a potential future conflict with China. Rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Houthis Claim They Downed Saudi Arabia’s F15 Jet
Houthis claimed they have downed Saudi Arabia’s F15 jet.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: US House Votes To End Iran War For Third Time
For a third time, the US House has voted to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action without congressional approval.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Saudi Arabia Condemns 'Cowardly Terrorist Attack' By Houthis On Mecca
Saudi Arabia condemned the targeting of Mecca as a “cowardly terrorist attack” after Yemen’s Houthis denied launching a drone at the holy city.
The Gulf kingdom “reaffirms its legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend the security of the two holy mosques, the pilgrims, and the entire Saudi territory, its citizens, and its residents,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Houthis Reaffirm Ceasefire With US
During the meeting, Houthi representatives told US officials they had no intention of attacking American vessels and remained committed to the 2025 ceasefire with Washington, according to two sources cited by Reuters. The US State Department did not confirm the meeting.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: US Officials Meet Houthis In Oman, Rebels Say No Plans To Attack American Vessels
US officials met representatives of Yemen’s Houthis in Oman over the weekend, Reuters reported, citing five sources familiar with the matter. The talks were reportedly held at the US Embassy in Muscat and were facilitated by Oman.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: India Condemns Attempted Drone Attack On Mecca, Says Targeting Holy Sites ‘Concerning’
India on Wednesday condemned what Saudi Arabia described as an attempted drone attack near the holy city of Mecca, calling it “concerning”.
In response to media queries regarding the attempted drone attack, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India opposed any actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure. He said the incident near Makkah was particularly concerning because of the city’s special significance to Muslims across the world.
“We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah. India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure. The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world,” he said.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: US Military Says It Destroyed 2 Small Iranian Boats Trying To Steal Drone
The US military said Tuesday that it opened fire and destroyed two small Iranian boats this week trying to steal a drone ship in the waters off Iran.
Capt Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman said that “Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a US unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after CENTCOM forcefully responded”.
Iranian state media reported Monday that a pair of fishing boats came under attack in Hormozgan province on Iran’s southern coast and that several fishermen were reported missing, citing a provincial official.
It is the latest volley of fire in the more than six-month-old war as both sides seek control over the Strait of Hormuz, where the US has succeeded in recent weeks in loosening Iran’s grip over the critical energy shipping corridor.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Kuwait Condemns Houthi Drone Attempt Targeting Mecca
Kuwait condemns the attempted targeting of Mecca with a drone launched by the Houthi militia.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Saudi Arabia Calls Attempted Mecca Attack 'Red Line' As Iran-Backed Houthis Deny They Did It
Saudi Arabia accused Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight of trying to attack Islam’s holiest city, prompting condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military support. The kingdom, a key US ally, declared Mecca a “red line” as it slid deeper into the new front of the Iran war.
With the world’s biggest oil exporter under fire from the rebels backed by the Saudis’ regional adversary, Tehran, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military support. However, a path to either one remains unclear.
A crucial Saudi pipeline has reportedly been shut down for weeks as the Yemen-based Houthis have been attacking infrastructure in the kingdom as well as its shipping on the Red Sea. Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above USD 100 a barrel.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Transits Through Strait Of Hormuz Drops To 4 As Tensions Drag On
Preliminary shipping data shows vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz remaining at four on Tuesday, down from seven a day earlier, Reuters reported.
This came as tensions remained in the Strait as talks between the United States and Iran are at a standstill.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Saudi Arabia Accuses Houthis Of 'Heinous Attack' On Mecca
Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have accused the Houthis of a “heinous” attack on Islam’s holy city Mecca, AFP reported.
However, the Houthis denied the allegation, stating that the Saudi report that it shot down a drone heading towards Mecca is “a worn-out lie”.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: US Urges Citizens To Reconsider Travelling To Saudi
The United States has urged its citizens to reconsider travelling to Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing Houthi attacks on the country.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: OIC Condemns Houthi Attack On Mecca, Calls It ‘Heinous’
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned Wednesday the Houthis’ “heinous” attack on Islam’s holy city Mecca, which the rebel group has denied.
“The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemns the heinous attacks carried out by the Houthi group against the city of Makkah and the Madinah region, as well as its ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the OIC said in a statement posted on X.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Houthi Denies Saudi Claim Of Drone Heading Towards Mecca
A Houthi official rejected Wednesday the Saudi-led coalition’s report that it had shot down a drone from the rebels heading towards Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
“The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone,” Hazem al-Assad from the Houthis’ politburo wrote on X.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Saudi Says It Downed Houthi Drone Heading Towards Mecca
The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis said Wednesday it had shot down a drone from the rebels heading towards Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
“The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Terrorist Houthi Militia before it entered the Prohibited Airspace Area of the Holy City of ‘Makkah Al-Mukarramah'”, read a statement, using another name for Mecca, posted on X by the coalition’s spokesman Turki al-Maliki.
US-Iran War LIVE Updates: Explosions Heard Off Iran’s Qeshm Island, IRNA Reports
Several explosions were heard on Iran’s Qeshm island, Iranian official IRNA news agency reported, citing local sources as saying, adding the sounds appeared to have come from the direction of the sea.