Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that a ballistic missile had been launched toward Riyadh by Houthi forces based in Yemen, marking the first such strike on the city since an intensification of hostilities involving the Iran-aligned group opened an additional front in the broader regional conflict. Reports of at least one detonation were received in the Saudi capital, and a number of Riyadh residents reported hearing a blast. A column of smoke was observed in the vicinity of the airport shortly afterwards. No injuries or property damage were recorded.
Saudi authorities released a statement several hours after the early-morning episode, noting that the threat had been neutralised before reaching its target. The communiqué indicated that Houthi forces had attempted to target civilian infrastructure across several locations — including the Red Sea port of Yanbu, where a key pipeline terminates, as well as Taif, Baysh and Farasan — though all attempts were reportedly repelled, with no additional information provided. In the past, officials in the kingdom have announced the successful detection and neutralisation of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Houthi forces.
Houthi armed forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree stated that the operation involved cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He additionally claimed that Saudi Arabia had made an effort to strike the Houthi-controlled Yemeni city of Sanaa, providing no further details. The Houthis had previously asserted responsibility for strikes on what they described as key installations in Riyadh and Aramco petroleum infrastructure in Yanbu, alleging the attacks had ignited substantial blazes, though no supporting evidence accompanied the announcement; Aramco, among the largest energy corporations globally, offered no response to media enquiries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Ankara could extend military assistance to Riyadh under a defence agreement the two nations recently concluded. Fidan stated that Turkey would have no trouble fulfilling any defence obligations under the pact, adding that the alliance had witnessed repeated violations of Saudi Arabia's borders and sovereignty and that Ankara remained committed to honouring its treaty commitments.
Mohsen Rezaei, who heads the Supreme National Security Council, stated in a television interview that Tehran is awaiting a reply from President Donald Trump after communicating its terms for a ceasefire through Qatari intermediaries. A senior security official conveyed the country's ceasefire conditions to Washington via Qatari mediators. The timeline for sharing the terms remained unclear.
Rezaei outlined three conditions: a halt to hostilities across all fronts, the return of frozen assets belonging to Iran, and the removal of the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Talks between the two nations had previously ended without agreement. Iran's desire for a cessation of hostilities between Yemen and Saudi Arabia was also conveyed in the statement.
The commander of Central Command stated that the military had facilitated the passage of one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the preceding two months, and asserted that a naval blockade had reduced Iran's oil exports to zero barrels during that period. Adm. Cooper reported that the strait's main shipping lanes had been cleared of explosive ordnance, with volumes of oil, natural gas, and freight moving through the waterway over the preceding fortnight reaching their highest levels since the conflict's outbreak following joint military strikes. Observers tracking vessel movements report that maritime activity through the area has yet to recover to its pre-conflict volumes. Iran has been conducting vessel strikes in the strait through which roughly a fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas flowed prior to the conflict, while seeking to extend its influence over the waterway.
Ishaq Dar and Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation covering the continuity of energy flows and the protection of merchant vessels at sea. According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Dar raised concerns about the potential consequences of disruptions for developing nations and worldwide supply networks. Escalating energy costs have placed the administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif under growing strain, and a religious political party has issued an ultimatum to the administration, vowing to mobilise supporters towards Islamabad unless fuel prices are reduced.
According to state television, a man named Hossein Pedram was put to death following his conviction on charges of passing intelligence to Mossad, the foreign intelligence service of Israel. According to the document, Pedram disclosed confidential details about strategically positioned installations within Iran's Isfahan province. No details were provided regarding the method by which he obtained the information. His detention is reported to have followed strikes on those locations, among them missile installations, during a 12-day aerial offensive carried out the previous year. Human rights organisations voiced condemnation following a notable rise in executions carried out by Iranian authorities.
Tehran prosecutors have filed charges against the organisers of a running event after female participants took part without head coverings, with state television reporting that authorities cited non-compliance with legal and Islamic Sharia requirements. Under the nation's mandatory dress code, women are obliged to cover their hair with headscarves and wear loose garments over their bodies. Video shared on social media depicts female athletes completing the 10-kilometre event without head coverings. Approximately 5% of race competitors breached event regulations, according to Habib Sotoudehnejad, who leads Tehran's sports department. Separate competitions were held for male and female participants.
Three fatalities were reported in Gaza following aerial bombardment by Israeli forces. Gaza's Health Ministry and Shifa Hospital representatives reported that one person lost their life in the Shijaiyah district of Gaza City. A second fatality was reported in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, with the victim identified as the son of the ministry's director general.
The military reported targeting what it described as a number of combatants, while hospital authorities in Gaza City later stated that a separate airstrike on a non-military vehicle left one person dead and at least four others wounded. Rami Mhanna, the managing director, described the body as entirely burned; the Israeli military stated it had targeted a Hamas operative; and although active combat between the two sides has largely diminished following a ceasefire in October, Gaza's Health Ministry reports that more than 13,780 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire in the period since.
The armed forces reported conducting strikes on Hezbollah positions across multiple locations in southern Lebanon. The airstrikes followed an incident in which two military personnel sustained injuries after their vehicle passed over an explosive device planted by Hezbollah in a part of southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are stationed. Three aerial attacks on the southern Lebanese village of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa were documented by the country's state-owned news outlet. The statement noted that a third projectile narrowly missed emergency responders travelling toward the location. There were no reported injuries.
Separately, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported that over 280,000 children in Gaza are now attending classes in tents and damaged buildings. Pupils at one Nuseirat school have been attending lessons without desks, using blankets spread across the floor as a substitute. A number of households reported that returning to the classroom restored a sense of daily structure that had been disrupted by the conflict.
According to Tawfiq al-Hourani, who heads UNRWA's education programme, the organisation ran 182 fully equipped schools three years prior. According to al-Hourani, approximately 95% of those items have since disappeared.
