The Middle East witnessed a military escalation on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia announcing the interception of Houthi missiles targeting Riyadh and damaging an Aramco building, while the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on facilities in the Kingdom, the day after raids on Sanaa, which the Houthi authorities said killed 33 people. Regarding the Iranian file, US President Donald Trump ruled out renewed war with Tehran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced the cessation of mediation efforts following the US elections.

Published on: 09/11/2026 - 04:50

The confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalated on Sunday, with Riyadh announcing that it intercepted two ballistic missiles and damaged a building belonging to Aramco, while the Houthis claimed attacks on targets in the Saudi capital.

This came the day after raids on Sanaa Governorate, which the Houthi authorities said killed 33 people.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump ruled out renewed war with Iran, while Tehran announced the cessation of mediation efforts following the US elections.

Mutual strikes between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis

The Saudi Ministry of Energy announced that an Aramco building in Riyadh was attempted to be targeted and hit by shrapnel.

Witnesses reported that a company building in the King Abdullah Financial Center was damaged, after explosions were heard in the capital, preceded by warnings of a “hostile air threat.”

The Saudi-led military coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh.

On the other hand, the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, announced the implementation of 4 operations using missiles and drones, which he said targeted King Khalid International Airport, Aramco tanks, and the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh, as well as the company’s facilities in Abqaiq and gatherings of Saudi forces supporting the Yemeni government in Al-Jawf, Marib, and Lahj.

The coalition also announced the destruction of a missile launching pad in Sanaa, which it said the Houthis had tried to use to target the eastern region, in addition to two platforms in Saada that it said were used to attack Riyadh.

The Houthi Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from Saudi raids on the village of Al-Shariya in the Bani Hashish District, east of Sanaa, had risen to 33 dead and 39 wounded.

Trump rules out renewed war, and Araghchi talks about stopping mediation

Regarding the Iranian file, CNN quoted Trump as saying that the resumption of military operations against Iran is “highly unlikely” as long as the talks are making progress, noting that the decision depends on reaching a “good agreement.” But he confirmed his readiness to resume strikes if necessary.

On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the mediators’ movements stopped a few days ago due to the “shock” caused by the results of the US midterm elections, in which the Democrats won a majority in both houses of Congress.

He explained that resuming mediation efforts requires time until the atmosphere becomes appropriate, calling for patience.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that "the mission has not yet been accomplished" in Iran, accusing Tehran of trying to resume efforts to possess nuclear weapons, an accusation that the Islamic Republic denies.

Oil tanker fires in Hormuz and developments in Iraq

In the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the outbreak of fires in 3 oil tankers, which it said were on an “illegal” route. Iranian media also reported from the Iranian Navy that an oil tanker caught fire after colliding with a mine east of the Strait, in a report that Reuters said it was unable to verify.

Iran has imposed restrictions on crossing the Strait since the outbreak of war in February, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports since April.

The US Central Command announced the formation of a task force to obstruct Iran's acquisition of weapons systems and illicit materials through land routes and the Caspian Sea.

In Iraq, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that Baghdad had reached understandings with Washington to export oil through a shipping lane near the Sultanate of Oman, estimating his country's losses from the war and the disruption of exports at $60 billion.

He revealed that the US Treasury Department requested the closure of all border crossings with Iran except for two crossings, one of which is in the Kurdistan region.

In the region, a drone targeted the Khor Mor gas field, which led to the cessation of production and the withdrawal of about 2.8 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity from service, while an initial Iraqi assessment stated that there were no human casualties.

Eisenkot is charged with forming the Israeli government

In Israel, President Isaac Herzog appointed Gadi Eisenkot to form a new government, pointing to a new political reality in the United States following the elections.

Eisenkot called on the Likud Party led by Benjamin Netanyahu and the Religious Zionism Party to support a government headed by him, considering that Israel is going through one of the most sensitive moments in its democratic history, and stressing the need to avoid a new electoral round.

France 24/ Agencies

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