Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday that three oil tankers, including one carrying more than two million barrels of oil, exploded and caught fire while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels near Mecca, Islam's holiest city. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
Iran says supertanker struck mine and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil struck a naval mine, exploded and caught fire while using an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.
The Guard said it was the third oil tanker to explode Friday after attempting to use unauthorized routes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly warned vessels against passing through the strait without Tehran’s permission.
It has claimed responsibility for attacks on ships and said last month that vessels attempting to pass through the strait without authorization would face “destruction.” Tehran has asserted control over much of the waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.
The U.S. military denies the naval mine claims, saying that all internationally recognized, primary transit routes through the waterway have been cleared of sea mines by U.S. forces.
Earlier Friday, the Guard’s navy said two other tankers caught fire after striking mines in the strait, Iranian state TV reported. It claimed the vessels had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and ignored repeated radio warnings.
Iran’s report did not identify the vessels or provide details about the crews. The AP could not verify those claims.
Oman’s Maritime Security Center, meanwhile, said the country had evacuated 25 crew members from a vessel. It is unclear if that incident is related to the fires described by the Iranian authorities. Oman said the Panama-flagged tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, 1.6 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam Governorate, and caught fire.
Saudi Arabia says drone launched by Houthis intercepted near Mecca
The Saudi-led coalition said Friday it intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
A coalition spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said the drone was intercepted in the region surrounding Mecca, Islam’s holiest city and a destination for millions of Muslim pilgrims each year.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree denied carrying out any operations targeting Mecca, saying in a statement that the group’s military operations are aimed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
Saudi Arabia has previously reported intercepting missiles and drones headed toward Mecca and Medina, another holy city. The Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting either city.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said the number of displaced people in Yemen has surpassed 281,000, as fighting continues unabated across parts of the country between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government forces.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA, said the figures cover the period between Aug. 1 and Oct. 25, adding that the overwhelming majority of civilians had fled fighting in Taiz and along the West Coast, where clashes between the warring parties have intensified in recent months.
It added that a new surge of displacement from Lahj province in mid-October “shows that the crisis is spreading rather than stabilizing.”
OCHA said it had documented 263 civilian casualties, including 67 people killed, as of Oct. 27. It said children account for 97 of the casualties and about half of those killed.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday for talks with Iranian officials
Iranian state media said Friday that Qatari mediators have returned to Iran for talks with officials, in the latest diplomatic push to try to broker an end to the war with the U.S. and Israel.
The IRNA state news agency said the Qatari delegation was headed by the country’s foreign minister and senior adviser to the prime minister. IRNA said they were meeting with senior Iranian officials but did not specify who.
The visit follows outreach from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who sent a letter in recent days to Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Tehran on Thursday acknowledged receipt of the letter but said it had not responded and did not detail its contents.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the letter was not about peace negotiations but instead about possibly allowing humanitarian aid.
Diplomats say U.S. officials have told Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections in the United States.
Israeli forces demolished two homes of Palestinian gunmen who attacked soldiers
Israeli forces demolished two homes in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Friday belonging to Palestinian gunmen who carried out an attack last week that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
Israel launched a sweeping military operation following the attack last week at Judea Junction that killed Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. Both gunmen were killed. Israel ordered residents to evacuate the gunmen’s neighborhood and closed roads into and out of Hebron.
The U.N. humanitarian office said earlier this week that more than 3,000 people had been displaced by Israeli forces. Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari said Sunday that the operation focused on Deir Bahha and Al-Jalda, with closures disrupting businesses and movement throughout the city.
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk warned earlier this week that the operation raised grave concerns about unnecessary and disproportionate use of force. He said statements by senior Israeli officials indicated the measures were punitive and designed to instill fear, and called for displaced residents to be allowed home. “Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law,” he said.
Israel said troops would continue to operate proactively and offensively throughout the West Bank to thwart terrorism and protect residents.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
