Seven oil tankers were damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday after being attacked or striking naval mines, Iranian state television reported, in what could be the highest number of vessels damaged in the strategic waterway in a single day since the Iran war began on February 28.
According to a statement attributed to the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), four tankers carrying out oil transfers were targeted and caught fire, while three others were damaged and left immobilised after hitting naval mines.
The report did not specify the vessels’ nationalities or provide information about possible casualties.
Iranian state television also warned that the Revolutionary Guard could target US military bases in the region if Washington attempted to facilitate oil tanker movements through other parts of the strait. The IRGC has repeatedly targeted US bases in Gulf countries during the conflict.
The reported incidents could not be independently verified.
Yemen Warns Houthi Gatherings Could Become Military Targets
Yemen’s Defence Ministry on Thursday warned that rallies and mobilisation activities organised by the Houthi movement would be treated as legitimate military targets, urging residents in areas controlled by the Iran-backed group not to participate.
The warning, published on social media, marked a significant escalation in the government’s stance towards the Houthis and raised concerns about the safety of civilians living in areas under their control.
Public rallies and what the Houthis describe as “cultural courses” are key elements of the group’s efforts to recruit supporters and fighters.
The ministry alleged that the gatherings were being used to mobilise children for combat.
Deliberate attacks against civilians may constitute war crimes under international law.
The death toll from an attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport has increased to two, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday.
The victims were a Saudi citizen and an Indian national residing in the kingdom, according to an official statement. Eight other people were injured in the incident late Wednesday.
Saudi authorities did not identify those responsible for the attack or disclose further details. Yemen’s Houthi rebels had not issued a statement on the incident.
The airport, located in eastern Saudi Arabia near Bahrain and Qatar, has previously been targeted amid a broader campaign of Houthi missile and projectile attacks against major Saudi airports.
A civilian with special needs was killed during an Israeli military raid on the village of Jamla in Syria’s southern Daraa province on Thursday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
The agency provided no further details about the circumstances of the death. The Israeli military had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in a rapid rebel offensive in December 2024, Israel took control of a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has maintained its presence there.
Although Jamla lies outside the Israeli-occupied zone, Israeli forces have frequently conducted incursions into neighbouring areas beyond it, reports UNB.