Middle East tensions rise as Saudi forces intercept missiles and Trump waives Russia curbs

Oct 17, 2026, 06:24 UTC

Military radar installations and defense surveillance equipment stationed on an arid desert ridgeline at dusk in the Middle East. — REAL NEWS HUB

Saudi military forces have intercepted several incoming missiles and drones across multiple regions, according to military officials, amid escalating hostilities across the Middle East.

The Saudi-led military coalition confirmed the destruction of a ballistic missile headed toward Yanbu, alongside two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three uncrewed aircraft targeting areas in the southern region and near Riyadh. Coalition authorities later reported destroying two ballistic missile launching pads in Yemen's Saada Governorate and published video material depicting strikes against purported maritime weapons smuggling networks operated along the Red Sea coast.

The aerial threats prompted regional aviation disruptions. The United States diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia issued a security notice alerting American citizens to potential airport strikes, flight cancellations and airspace shutdowns. Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were suspended through Saturday, while facilities in Jeddah and Dammam experienced schedule delays. Diplomatic officials also advised that photographing or recording missile interception sites is illegal under local regulations. Civil defence authorities in Khamis Mushait lifted a temporary emergency warning after confirming the immediate hazard had passed.

Across the border in Yemen, two missiles struck near the airport in the southern port city of Aden. Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that their forces had targeted a Saudi military command facility. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei denied accusations that Tehran had any role in Houthi attacks against Saudi territory, adding that Iran remains willing to act as an intermediary between the parties.

Commenting on the regional friction, US President Donald Trump stated that Saudi Arabia should consider accepting defensive assistance from Israel to repel Houthi threats. Speaking to reporters, Trump remarked that Israel has proven helpful to the kingdom and suggested that official normalisation of ties between Riyadh and Israel could gain renewed traction.

In a separate policy move, Trump issued an executive order waiving key trade penalties and duties that targeted Russian energy income under the Graham Act, which had been enacted into law the prior month.

US Central Command reported that more than 50,000 American military personnel remain stationed across the Middle East, while roughly 400 commercial ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz during the prior week. The command claimed Tehran is confronting significant financial hardships across vital industrial sectors, alleging that approximately $25 billion in petroleum proceeds remain inaccessible to the Iranian government alongside around $350 million in frozen digital currency assets.

Explained: catch up on this storyWhy has fighting flared up again in Yemen?A fragile four-year truce in Yemen has collapsed into widespread warfare after rebel advances prompted the Saudi-backed government to launch Operation Yemen Dawn.Read the explainer →

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Pakistan demands verifiable militant curbs before entering Afghan talks

• Demands verifiable mechanism to end terrorist attacks from Afghan soil • FO says no formal Russian mediation initiative currently under discussion • Warns India that any future aggression will be met with a stronger response ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday said that talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional, while rejecting suggestions that Islamabad was unwilling to engage with its neighbour and saying it would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to help resolve the dispute. “Pakistan is not shying away from discussions or dialogue, including with representatives of Afghanistan. Pakistan would welcome any sincere efforts by friendly countries that could help address our legitimate security concerns and promoting regional peace and stability,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at the weekly media briefing. The statement came as Russia recently renewed its readiness to mediate between the two countries, although Islamabad denied the existence of any such initiative. “At present, I am not aware of any separate, formal Russian mediation initiative being under discussion,” Mr Khan said, adding that Pakistan remained open to engagement that produced tangible results. Russia, the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban government, has recently renewed its offer to facilitate a settlement if both sides request its involvement. Moscow’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, had earlier this month made this suggestion after the latest round of the Moscow Format consultations on Oct 5 ended without a joint communiqué because of differences between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban delegations over references to terrorist networks operating from Afghanistan. Mr Khan said the absence of an agreed statement at the Moscow Format meeting reflected the Afghan delegation’s unwillingness to accept language on terrorist networks that had been agreed in the previous year’s document. “The fact that no joint communiqué was issued after the Moscow Format is self-evident that Afghanistan did not accept the formulation which had been acceptable until last year particularly about presence of terrorist network in Afghanistan. This shows that there is reluctance on the part of Afghanistan that terrorism is originating from its soil,” he said. The failure to get a joint communique highlighted the central obstacle to normalising relations, which is Pakistan’s demand for action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups it says are using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border. The Taliban authorities have avoided taking a categorical position on the TTP and other groups, while rejecting Islamabad’s allegations that Afghanistan is being used as a base for attacks against Pakistan. The dispute has frustrated international efforts to reduce tensions. Qatar and Turkiye last October helped broker a ceasefire, but subsequent round of talks failed to reach a lasting settlement. Saudi Arabia separately hosted discussions, while China held talks between the two sides in Urumqi in April. None of these efforts could resolve the disagreement over terrorist groups and the measures needed to prevent cross border attacks. Pakistan’s position, Mr Khan said, was that dialogue would need to be backed by an arrangement that could verify whether terrorist activity against the country had stopped. “The talks will not be unconditional. Pakistan has been raising the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan at different forums. Unfortunately, the Taliban regime has been taking one step forward and one step backward,” Mr Khan emphasised. “Pakistan has only one demand that there should be a verifiable mechanism to ensure complete cessation of terrorist activities emanating from Afghan soil against Pakistan,” he said. ‘Stronger response’ Mr Khan reminded India of the response it faced during last year’s military confrontation and warned that any future aggression would be met with an even stronger response. FO reaction came after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a day earlier threatened a bigger strike in the event of any future terrorist attacks. Singh, while speaking at National Defence Conclave 2026 in Delhi, recalled Operation Sindoor and said that it marked a decisive response to terrorism. He also referred to earlier Indian military operations. “We reject and condemn the Indian Defence Minister’s provocative remarks entailing a threat of Indian aggression against Pakistan. Such reckless statements reflect India’s hegemonistic mindset and the risks its belligerent posture poses to regional peace and stability in South Asia,” Mr Khan said. “We wish to remind India of the consequences of its military aggression in May last year, when Pakistan demonstrated both its capability and resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and gave a fitting reply to Indian aggression,” the FO spokesperson said. Mr Khan urged New Delhi to draw lessons from the previous confrontation and avoid further escalation. “India should draw an appropriate lesson from the last year’s experience and abandon its belligerent posture and dangerous rhetoric and act with responsibility for lasting peace in the region,” he said. Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026