Day 221 | Houthis claim strike on Saudi's King Khalid airport
Loud explosions rang out across northern districts of the Saudi capital on Monday, shaking residential buildings near King Khalid International Airport as Saudi forces and their Yemeni government allies stepped up military operations against Iran-backed Houthi forces.
Residents in northern Riyadh and correspondents from news agencies reported hearing a powerful blast that vibrated residential structures.
"The windows in my house shook," one local resident reported following the detonation.
Following the blasts, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming responsibility for coordinated strikes targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh.
Saree added that Houthi forces also launched attacks against Abha International Airport, the Khamis Mushait air base, and military installations in Najran and Jazan.
The escalated cross-border strikes pushed Brent crude oil prices to hover around $100 a barrel on Monday.
Global energy markets reacted to intensifying control battles over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Houthi forces, as well as conflicting reports concerning fresh strikes on a vital Saudi oil pipeline.
Despite the heightened security risks in regional waterways, maritime tracking firm Kpler reported over the weekend that Middle Eastern crude exports -excluding Iranian shipments- surpassed pre-war levels during September.
Maritime analysts attribute the unexpected export recovery largely to oil producers utilizing alternative transit corridors via the Red Sea, though escalating hostilities with Houthi forces threaten to introduce fresh volatility to regional shipping lanes.
Dozens of Iranian tankers stranded near Iran, Sri Lanka
At least 50 tankers carrying Iranian oil remain stranded near the country’s coast amid the US blockade, while other vessels are waiting outside the Gulf near Sri Lanka, Bloomberg reported, citing United Against Nuclear Iran.
The vessels are carrying mainly crude oil, along with petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas, according to the organization.
The report said empty tankers are also waiting at anchorages across the Indian and Pacific oceans rather than returning to Iranian ports because of the blockade.
Twenty Iranian-flagged vessels are reportedly off Sri Lanka, while one is off Oman. At least 11 loaded tankers are anchored east of Khark Island, with another five located south of the island.
The situation has reportedly changed little over the past two months, according to United Against Nuclear Iran.
Guterres condemns Houthi attacks amid Yemen escalation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over escalating fighting in Yemen and condemned attacks by the Houthis, according to UN spokesperson Farhan Haq.
“The secretary-general wants the parties to work on de-escalation, and he continues to want that,” Haq told reporters.
He added that Guterres does not believe further militarization of the conflict, including intervention by external powers, would be helpful.
The comments come as fighting escalates in Yemen, raising renewed concerns over the humanitarian and security situation in the country.
Iran boasts large stockpile of new military equipment, army spokesperson says
Iran has a large stockpile of newly produced military equipment, including missiles and drones, according to Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, a spokesperson for the Iranian army.
State TV quoted Akraminia as saying production of new defensive and offensive equipment is continuing amid the ongoing war.
“New defensive and offensive equipment will be introduced at the appropriate time,” he said.
Akraminia did not provide details on the quantity or types of equipment held in the stockpile.
Trump ‘deranged and dangerous’ for daring Iran to take out LA, California governor says
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has condemned President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, calling him “deranged and dangerous.”
Trump made the comments Monday during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, while defending the US war on Iran and addressing its impact on fuel prices.
“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said. “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay.”
The crowd cheered following the remarks.
Newsom responded on X, saying Trump was “deranged and dangerous.” His official governor account separately described the remarks as “disgusting and disqualifying.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also criticized Trump, saying the city was “not expendable” and should not be treated as a “small price to pay.”
The comments came as Trump campaigned ahead of the November midterm elections while defending his administration’s handling of the conflict with Iran.
'Let them take out LA': Trump jokes about Iran bombing US
US President Donald Trump ignited intense criticism during a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, after dismissing rising domestic prices and high fuel costs as a "small price to pay" for security, before making controversial remarks suggesting foreign enemies target major American cities.
Defending his administration's economic record and geopolitical stance, Trump argued that elevated consumer prices were merely an artificial, temporary burden incurred to preserve global stability.
"It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," Trump told the crowd regarding rising costs.
He then escalated his rhetoric by openly downplaying the threat of Iranian retaliatory capabilities, adding:
"They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay."
The remarks—linking domestic inflation directly to foreign policy costs while casually invoking potential strikes on major West Coast urban centers—
drew swift condemnation from civic leaders and state officials. California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced the statements as "deranged and dangerous," while local authorities reiterated that national security policy should never treat American lives or municipalities as disposable collateral.
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Read more: Day 220 | Senior Trump administration officials met to discuss Iran war
