An Iranian commercial ship was struck early Sunday near the Strait of Hormuz, with one person killed, Iranian state media say.
Meanwhile, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they fired drones and missiles toward southern Saudi Arabia, putting new pressure on a key U.S. ally in the region. And the presidents of Iran and Egypt have met about the rising regional tensions.
Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Iran says 1 person killed in strike on commercial ship
State-run media said an Iranian commercial vessel was stuck off Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Persian Gulf that sits on the Strait of Hormuz, with one person killed and three wounded.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor reported a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, with no details. It was not immediately clear if it was the same strike.
There was no immediate statement by the U.S. military, which previously has struck Iranian-flagged vessels as it keeps up a blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, the military said its forces had redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days.
Houthis claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they fired drones and missiles toward neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that they targeted a military base in Sharurah province in the Najran region. He didn’t provide evidence or say when the attack took place.
Sirens went off in the province on Saturday, according to the Saudi civil defense, which didn’t report casualties or damage.
The civil defense overnight also said a projectile fell in al-Tawwal governorate near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings. The statement blamed the Houthis.
The escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed and internationally recognized government risks a return to civil war in Yemen after four years of a truce.
Egyptian and Iranian leaders meet in New Delhi
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where the group of emerging economies has expressed concern about rising Mideast tensions. China again offered to play its “due role” to forge peace.
El-Sissi told Pezeshkian that Egypt expects Iran to make all possible efforts to de-escalate and achieve a “comprehensive, sustainable and peaceful settlement to the crisis,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The Egyptian leader also urged an end to attacks on Arab countries.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
