The conflict in the Middle East has entered a new phase. The number of confirmed attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf has risen from zero in early February to 22 in the past two weeks. Yes , large volumes of oil are still being exported; however, transporting it out of the Gulf is becoming an increasingly complex challenge .
UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone stated that Israeli military actions in southern Syria have included bombings and detention operations. He reported that 49 people arrested in southern Syria remain in detention and stressed the need to end Israeli violations of the Disengagement Agreement and respect Syria ‘s sovereignty and territorial integrity .
Saudi Arabia is investigating why its air defense systems failed to prevent drone and missile attacks launched by the Houthis against Riyadh airport, which left at least 13 dead and over 300 injured. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the Houthis used drones to facilitate cruise and ballistic missile missions. Riyadh is calling for greater US involvement in military operations against the Houthis, while President Trump is considering launching strikes.
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until at least October 17 following a series of missile attacks, Reuters reports. Saudi authorities have extended the suspension of flights to carry out technical and safety checks at the airport. The airport has been closed since October 10, when an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels killed at least 12 people and injured over 300. The following day, another attack hit the airport terminals, killing a Pakistani national and wounding 11 others. Major international airlines have canceled flights to Riyadh. Lufthansa has suspended flights until October 16, Etihad until October 19, and Air France-KLM until the end of the month. The airport’s closure may be extended.
Saudi airports currently unable to receive flights are: Najran, Jazan, Riyadh, Taif, and Yanbu. In the late afternoon of October 13, major disruptions were reported in Saudi airspace, including at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said in a statement: “ The Iranian diplomatic apparatus , in addition to defending the country’s national interests and rights on the international stage, is actively using diplomatic channels to safeguard national interests . ” The Iranian Embassy in India announced that Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Court of the National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a telephone conversation with Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of the Republic of India. During the conversation, they exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest to the two countries. In many respects, this conversation is of considerable importance, with further developments expected in the future. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also held a telephone conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The two officials discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the latest regional developments, including the situation in Yemen.
And now a look at the military scenario in the Middle East and West Asia. Israeli artillery shelled areas in the western area of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian press reports , Israeli artillery targeted the vicinity of Al-Durrah Hospital in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood (east of Gaza City). The attack added to ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip. From the West Bank, Netanyahu: ” We are preparing for a scenario in which the Palestinian Authority turns its weapons against Israel in the West Bank. Whoever will remain in the camps of the northern West Bank and control the area will be the Israeli army . “
Israeli forces continued their attacks in southern Lebanon. On October 12, Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit Kfar Tebnit and Wadi Al-Hujeir. Artillery shelling was reported in Wadi Zibqin, Wadi Al-Saluqi, Al-Mansouri, Beit Yahoun, Hadatha, the outskirts of Mayfadoun, Ayta al-Jabal, Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Al-Jarmaq, the Al-Shamis area (near Kfar Shouba), the Al-Arish area (near Haris), Kfar Tebnit, and the outskirts of Baraachit. Sound bombs were also reportedly used in Kfar Shouba. On October 13, Israeli artillery again targeted the outskirts of Mayfadoun in southern Lebanon.
After it emerged on October 11 that Lebanese security services had stopped and seized a truck containing approximately 800 kg of explosives – with two Hezbollah members on board – a source told MTV : “In the last few hours, the Lebanese Armed Forces intercepted a load of 200 kg of C4 explosives being transported by donkey along a mountain pass between Syria and Lebanon . ” Israeli forces reportedly blew up an abandoned military barracks in Tal Harbon, near Beit Jinn, in the rural area west of Damascus. In the rural area of Quneitra, a patrol consisting of five vehicles carrying Israeli soldiers reportedly advanced towards Qudna, Rasam Sind, Briqa and Bir Ajam. During the incursion into Rasam Sind, Israeli forces arrested a young man.
Over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes have carried out 119 airstrikes and missile attacks against civilian and military targets in the capital Sana’a and the provinces of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, Marib, Lahj, Al-Bayda, and Ibb, using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft from Khamis Mushait and Taif bases, and missile attacks from Najran and Jizan, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries, including women and children. The total number of airstrikes and missile attacks in Saudi aggression against our country since the beginning of the escalation has reached 2,177.
Sana’a rejects the logic of ceasefires; therefore, if the Kingdom knocked on Amman’s door, it would receive a “no” from Yemen. Yemen has put the conditions on the table for ending the war: a complete cessation of hostilities and an end to the conflict, not a ceasefire based on promises and subject to American manipulation.
The commander of the eastern front in Taiz, Major Amar Mahyub, was killed by Ansar Allah during ongoing fighting in Al-Dhabab.
Ansar Allah has claimed responsibility for new attacks on King Khalid Airport and warned foreign workers not to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because they could lose their lives. It also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Khamis Mushait.
According to Yemeni sources, a Saudi airstrike killed nine members of the same family in the Khub wa ash Sha’af district of Al-Jawf governorate. One person was killed and two were wounded in a Saudi attack in the Qahr Bani Hashish area of Baqim district, near the Yemeni border. AnsarAllah downed a Royal Saudi Air Force UAV over Bani Matar, southwest of Sana’a .
AnsarAllah has continued its advance on the Taiz front, pushing towards the Jabal Saber heights, south of Taiz city ; according to the latest maps of the front, the group has captured the village of Al-Sarari and is approaching the summit of Jabal Al-Arous. However, PLC forces reportedly launched a limited but effective counteroffensive in western Taiz, pushing AnsarAllah back from the Al-Hanjar checkpoint and the nearby Hamraa heights. Clashes were subsequently reported near Al-Kasarah. PLC forces continue to maintain control of the strategically important Jabal Han position, northwest of Taiz city ; this control could make it difficult for AnsarAllah to maintain control of the Al-Hanjar checkpoint.
On the morning of October 13, Saudi warplanes launched eight airstrikes in the Jabal Habashi district of Taiz Governorate, targeting several schools and areas in the towns of Al-Haqel, Al-Maidan, and Wadi Bani Khawlan. Yemeni media also reported that Saudi Arabia was targeting areas in the governorates of Sana’a, Amran, Al-Hudaydah, and Al-Jawf. The Yemeni Ministry of Health stated that Saudi and allied forces’ strikes had caused 385 deaths and injuries since September 3.
According to reports from the front and Saudi Arabia’s own admissions, Sana’a forces maintain control of the Bab al-Mandab theater of operations. These strategic positions are located south of Bab al-Mandab and border the districts of Al-Mudharabah and Ras al-Arah, in the Lahj governorate, currently used as launching bases for attacks towards Bab al-Mandab.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced action against a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz in the late afternoon of October 12, the third such incident in the past two days. The vessel was hit by a missile. According to the UKMTO, Iran has struck six vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours. The IRGC has effectively confirmed that it has taken the lead at sea, both in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.
On the afternoon of October 13, explosions were also heard in the Strait of Hormuz; a burning oil tanker was reported. The Iranian Navy stated that an oil tanker involved in violations caught fire in the eastern Strait of Hormuz. Approximately four ballistic missiles were reportedly launched from missile bases in Yazd and Isfahan, as part of a series of tests conducted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Separately, Shahed-136 drone activity was reported over Erbil governorate, in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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