Day 225 | Houthi strike on Riyadh airport kills three Saudis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Iranian people have a clear message: they are not afraid of threats from the enemy.

“The Crisis Management Organization has issued a formal expert recommendation to relocate these tanks to safe sites outside the city in order to protect the lives and property of citizens,” the organization’s head, Hossein Sajedinia, said.

Sajedinia added that previous fires involving fuel storage tanks had been extinguished with assistance from Iranian energy companies.

Tehran warns of regional retaliation
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure amid the ongoing war.

Tehran has warned that it would retaliate by targeting energy facilities across the Gulf region, raising concerns over the potential impact on regional energy supplies and civilian infrastructure.

Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government say they have killed several Houthi fighters while repelling an attack north of Dhubab Airport.

In a post on X, the Southern Giant Forces said they had repelled the assault and destroyed a large amount of Houthi military equipment.

The group added that the Saudi-led coalition had carried out air strikes targeting Houthi reinforcements.

The leader of ‘Israel’s’ Democrats party, Yair Golan, has described the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a “mistake,” arguing that it did not serve ‘Israel’s’ interests.

“I think, unequivocally, the elimination of Khamenei, the father, was a mistake, not because he didn’t deserve to die, only because it doesn’t serve the interests of the State of Israel,” Golan said.

Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran on February 28, alongside several other senior Iranian officials. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, subsequently succeeded him as supreme leader.

The elder Khamenei issued a religious decree, or fatwa, in 2003 prohibiting nuclear weapons, arguing that they violated Islamic principles.

Golan also criticized Netanyahu’s stated goal of toppling the Iranian government, describing it as “unrealistic.”

Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi has condemned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over remarks about Iran’s history, accusing Washington of overlooking its own history of colonialism and bloodshed.

“A country whose history began with the massacre of indigenous peoples and has never ceased from colonialism and bloodshed accuses the Achaemenids, who wrote the world’s first declaration of human rights, of crimes!” Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament National Security Commission, wrote on X.

“Your vile nature has a problem with Iran and Iranians,” he added.

Rubio made the remarks during a speech in Athens on Wednesday, arguing that the West should “maintain its place at the head of the world.” He also criticized the Achaemenid Empire, an ancient Iranian dynasty that fought wars against parts of Greece.

UN experts have urged Iran to halt executions, accusing authorities of using the death penalty to “silence dissent” and warning of widespread procedural unfairness and serious human rights violations.

In a news release, the experts said they had reviewed cases marked by unfair proceedings and underlying human rights abuses.

The experts said most executions in Iran were linked to homicide cases under qisas, or retribution-in-kind, and drug-related offenses, rather than security cases that receive greater international attention.

They argued that executions were being used as a substitute for addressing the underlying causes of homicide and drug trafficking, including poverty, discrimination and gender-based violence.

The experts also said Iran has the world's highest execution rate per capita.

Iran has carried out a wave of executions since nationwide anti-government protests in January. Iranian authorities said at least 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, while estimates from outside sources have been significantly higher, in some cases exceeding the official figure by more than tenfold.

The UN experts called on Tehran to immediately impose a moratorium on executions as a first step toward abolishing the death penalty. They also urged authorities to commute all death sentences and review every case to ensure defendants receive fair trials.

The United States has urged the Houthis to halt attacks on Yemen’s internationally recognized government and neighboring Saudi Arabia, as the United Nations warns of a renewed escalation in the country’s conflict.

Addressing the UN Security Council on Friday, US Ambassador Jeff Bartos accused the Houthis of acting on behalf of Iran and called on Tehran to end all support for the group.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the council that the country had returned to “full-scale war,” urging members to support mediation efforts to prevent further escalation.

The latest developments follow a Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport, north of Riyadh, on Thursday that killed three Saudi citizens.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Al Jaber, said Friday that Yemeni government forces had retaken control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime route through which around 12 percent of global trade passes.

The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and offers Saudi Arabia an alternative route for shipping through the Red Sea, reducing its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi-affiliated media outlets reported a wave of strikes targeting critical infrastructure, telecommunications, and government facilities across Sa'dah, Ta'iz, and Al-Hudaydah provinces.

According to the reports, missile bombardment struck Sa'dah city, while additional strikes targeted the telecommunications network in the neighboring Al-Safra District.

Separately, Houthi media claimed that a two-strike aerial attack targeted the government complex in Same'a District, located in southern Ta'iz Province.

In Al-Hudaydah Province, Houthi media sources reported an attack targeting the Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) facility located in Bajil District.

The reports provided no immediate details regarding the extent of casualties or physical damage resulting from the strikes.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a fundamental shift in regional diplomacy, stating that foreign policy engagements must move beyond symbolic gatherings to serve as functional instruments for resolving ongoing conflicts and driving regional cooperation.

"Regional diplomacy shouldn't just be about holding meetings. It must be a real tool: for crisis management, maintaining dialogue, preventing escalation, and driving practical cooperation." Pezeshkian wrote on X.

The 'Israeli' military said on Friday that its air forces conducted a targeted aerial strike along the border between Syria and Lebanon, claiming to have hit a Syrian national it allegedly accuses of directing operations on behalf of Tehran.

According to a statement issued by the 'Israeli' military, the operation targeted Yusuf Ali Al-Hassoun.

'Israeli' forces allege that Al-Hassoun operated under the direct guidance of the Iranian regime to advance attack plans against 'Israeli' civilians and troops stationed in southern Syria.

The 'Israeli' military claimed that over the past year, Al-Hassoun had been involved in planning and attempting to execute multiple hostile engagements against 'Israeli' personnel in southern Syria, including the planned launch of explosive-laden drones and rocket artillery.

'Israeli' officials said that these prior attempts were successfully thwarted.

Concluding its statement, the 'Israeli' military stated that it would maintain active operations against immediate threats across all active fronts, while asserting its continued commitment to the existing ceasefire framework between 'Israel' and Lebanon.

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen has launched a broad military campaign targeting Houthi assets, destroying 136 military targets across areas under the group's control, according to official statements by Coalition Spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki.

The Coalition confirmed that its forces are actively executing a comprehensive operation designed to systematically degrade and neutralize the Houthi personnel and operational capabilities.

"We are carrying out a wide-scale operation targeting the elements and capabilities of the terrorist Houthi militia," Maj. Gen. Al-Malki stated, emphasizing that coalition forces are focusing specifically on disrupting the group's strategic arsenal. "We are working to dismantle and destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia."

24/7 air support 

In addition to deep-strike operations against missile infrastructure, the Coalition emphasized its direct operational involvement alongside government troops on active battlefronts.

Maj. Gen. Al-Malki affirmed that Coalition air forces are providing 24-hour continuous close air support to units of the Yemeni Armed Forces, bolstering ground engagements and pressing the offensive against Houthi strongholds.

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen has launched a broad military campaign targeting Houthi assets, destroying 136 military targets across areas under the group's control, according to official statements by Coalition Spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki.

The Coalition confirmed that its forces are actively executing a comprehensive operation designed to systematically degrade and neutralize the Houthi personnel and operational capabilities.

"We are carrying out a wide-scale operation targeting the elements and capabilities of the terrorist Houthi militia," Maj. Gen. Al-Malki stated, emphasizing that coalition forces are focusing specifically on disrupting the group's strategic arsenal. "We are working to dismantle and destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia."

24/7 air support 

In addition to deep-strike operations against missile infrastructure, the Coalition emphasized its direct operational involvement alongside government troops on active battlefronts.

Maj. Gen. Al-Malki affirmed that Coalition air forces are providing 24-hour continuous close air support to units of the Yemeni Armed Forces, bolstering ground engagements and pressing the offensive against Houthi strongholds.

Asked by reporters at the White House regarding the Iran-backed Houthi strike on Riyadh's main airport that killed three people, US President Donald Trump denounced the escalation, stating, "Not good. It’s not a good thing. I’m not happy about it."

Reporter: What is your position on the Houthi (Ansarallah) attack on Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia? Trump: Not good. It’s not a good thing. I’m not happy about it. https://t.co/YxElyPetjI

— Tabz (@TabzLIVE) October 9, 2026

For coverage of the previous day, visit the link below.

Read more: Day 224 | US may resume strikes on Iran within three weeks