An Iranian commercial vessel was struck near the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday, killing one person, according to Iranian state media.
Elsewhere, Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen said they launched drones and missiles toward southern Saudi Arabia, escalating pressure on a major U.S. partner in the Middle East. The presidents of Iran and Egypt also met as concern grows over mounting regional tensions.
Here is the latest on developments across the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Iran reports one death after commercial ship strike
Iranian state media reported that a commercial ship was hit off Qeshm Island, the Persian Gulf’s largest island, which lies along the Strait of Hormuz. One person was killed and three others were injured, the reports said.
In a separate report, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitoring agency said a vessel had been struck by a projectile while passing through the strait. The agency released no further details, and it was not immediately known whether the incident involved the same ship.
The U.S. military did not immediately comment. American forces have previously struck Iranian-flagged vessels while maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, the military said it had redirected 100 commercial ships during the previous 60 days.
Houthis say they launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they launched drones and missiles toward neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group targeted a military base in Sharurah province, in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region. He offered no evidence to support the claim and did not say when the alleged attack occurred.
Sirens went off in the province on Saturday, according to the Saudi civil defense, which didn’t report casualties or damage.
The civil defense overnight also said a projectile fell in al-Tawwal governorate near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings. The statement blamed the Houthis.
The escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed and internationally recognized government risks a return to civil war in Yemen after four years of a truce.
Egyptian and Iranian leaders meet in New Delhi
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where the group of emerging economies has expressed concern about rising Mideast tensions. China again offered to play its “due role” to forge peace.
El-Sissi told Pezeshkian that Egypt expects Iran to make all possible efforts to de-escalate and achieve a “comprehensive, sustainable and peaceful settlement to the crisis,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The Egyptian leader also urged an end to attacks on Arab countries.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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