Saudi Arabia’s national airline says one of its pilots was among three people killed in a Houthi missile strike on an international airport on Riyadh.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and a parked Saudia Airlines plane, saying it involved at least one ballistic missile.
Saudia said Captain Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami was killed in the attack alongside two other Saudi nationals. It makes it the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia since the country launched a new offensive against the Houthis last weekend.
Air India and Lufthansa suspended flights to the Saudi capital, while updated UK Foreign Office advice warns against all but essential travel to Riyadh province.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, almost half of departures from the Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT yesterday, with 31 more cancellations expected for Friday in all Saudi airports.
Earlier, Donald Trump said the US will not attack Iran for almost a month and claimed “productive” discussions were taking place over ending the conflict
Read MoreTrump finally clarifies his ‘take out’ LA comment after three days of uproar
A direct act of war is closer than ever. ‘Performative’ Iron Domes won’t protect us
US military planes worth up to $3.3 billion now lost or damaged in Iran war, Congress report says
Hegseth ridiculed after failing to keep up with his own troops on training exercise
Key Points
- Saudia airline captain among three dead in missile strikes on Riyadh airport
- Houthis claim attack on Riyadh airport
- ‘Massive explosions’ reported in southern Strait of Hormuz
- Trump says US will not attack Iran before 3 November
- USS Abraham Lincoln docks in San Diego after 10-month deployment in support of Iran war
- Trump defends his comments about Iran destroying US cities
US targets remaining vessels allegedly linked to Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’
12:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned 17 tankers it accuses the Iranian government of relying on to move billions of dollars worth of oil and gas to foreign markets.
The US Treasury actions are the latest push as part of Washington’s punishing economic campaign against Tehran.
“Treasury is starving the tyrannical regime in Tehran of the money it uses to wage war in the region, and we will continue exposing those who enable the regime’s oil sales,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news release.
The US has alleged that the tankers are part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies in the region.
UK warns against non-essential travel to parts of Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks
11:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe UK has expanded its travel warning for Saudi Arabia amid renewed Houthi attacks, advising against all but essential travel to several areas of the kingdom.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its guidance on 8 October. “FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Aseer province, Riyadh province, Najran province, Jizan province and Taif city and Taif International Airport,” it said in an update on its website.
It continues to advise against all travel within 10km of the Saudi-Yemen border.
The advisory follows a resurgence in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, which claimed to have struck Riyadh airport on Thursday and damaged an aircraft.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia has also urged American citizens in the country to remain vigilant amid the recent attacks.
IRGC official says ‘non-compliant vessels in Hormuz are punished every night’
10:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIran’s IRGC is carrying out nightly operations against vessels it considers to be violating its rules in the Strait of Hormuz, Ali Mohammadi, the force’s political deputy, told the Fars news agency.
Mohammadi claimed that Iranian forces had maintained “complete and absolute” surveillance of the Strait since the first day of the war and would continue offensive and defensive operations.
He dismissed estimates by Donald Trump and media outlets that three million to eight million barrels of oil were passing through the waterway as “incorrect” and “media speculation” intended to lower prices and influence markets.
He said the IRGC Navy could impose its will “at any point” on vessels it considered to be in violation, accusing the US of creating insecurity in the Gulf and the wider region.
Saudia airline captain among three dead in Houthi strike on Riyadh airport
09:59 , Adam WithnallThree Saudi citizens were killed, including a captain with the national airline, and several other people “of different nationalities” were wounded during strikes targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia Airlines aircraft, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said.
It marked the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since it and allied forces in neighbouring Yemen launched a major military offensive last weekend against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Thursday's first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second struck the aircraft, the statement said. It did not identify those responsible, though the Houthis claimed to have targeted the airport with a ballistic missile.
Among the dead was Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, the Saudia Group said in a statement. A separate Saudia Group statement said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground and with no passengers on board.
“It is with profound sadness that Saudia announces the passing of Captain Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami, who lost his life on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in the incident at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” the airline said.
The airport in the Saudi capital has come under multiple attacks in recent days, with a Sudanese national killed there earlier this week.
US military planes worth up to $3.3 billion now lost or damaged in Iran war, Congress report says
09:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe US military has seen 81 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft worth as much as $3.3bn damaged or destroyed in President Donald Trump’s war with Iran so far, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Trump launched his Operation Epic Fury airstrikes against Tehran, in partnership with Israel, on 28 February, since when it has seen airplanes, helicopters and drones hit in retaliatory strikes.
The total cited includes a costly F-35A fighter jet and a four-engine E-3 Sentry among the casualties, while MQ-9 Reaper drones, used for surveillance and search-and-rescue operations, account for more than half of the losses.
Read more here:
More than 80 planes worth up to $3 billion damaged or lost in Iran war, report finds
OpenAI says Iran-linked network used ‘fake journalist’ personas to place US-Iran war articles
08:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarOpenAI says it disrupted an Iran-linked influence operation that used seven fake journalist identities to place nearly 100 articles about the US-Iran war in around a dozen online publications.
The network – which Open AI dubbed “Bogus Bylines” – used ChatGPT to write and refine articles, pitches and social media comments aimed at portraying the US as the aggressor and Iran as a victim.
The accounts originated in Iran and used VPNs to obscure their location, Al Jazeera reported.
Putin says Russia is ready to help end Iran war
07:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarRussian president Vladimir Putin told Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday that Moscow was ready to help end the war in Iran, Reuters reported.
Speaking during talks in Turkmenistan, Putin said Iran was making “real efforts” to end the conflict, which he said had begun through no fault of Tehran.
“You know our position. On our part, we are ready to do everything we can to help you resolve this situation,” Putin said, according to the Interfax news agency.
“We know that Iran is making real efforts to end the conflict, which broke out through no fault of its own, no fault of Iran,” Putin added.
The meeting came as diplomatic efforts between Iran and the US continued. Donald Trump said on Thursday that “productive discussions” with Iran were still underway.
US aircraft carrier returns home after 322-day deployment
06:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe USS Abraham Lincoln returned to its home port in San Diego, California after a 322-day deployment, including a record 265 consecutive days at sea.
The aircraft carrier supported the US-Israel war on Iran, which began in February.
Crew members were greeted by family and friends, with some describing relief at finally returning home.
“It feels amazing,” 20-year-old Abel Ramirez told Associated Press, adding that his parents had driven from Texas to meet him.“There was a certain point when I never thought I would come off.”
On Thursday, the Pew Research Center released a poll that revealed that 65 per cent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war, compared with 33 per cent who approved.
‘Massive explosions’ reported in southern Strait of Hormuz
05:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIranian media reported “massive explosions” in the southern Strait of Hormuz.
Fars news agency, citing unnamed military sources, said tankers using “unauthorised” routes may have hit sea mines.
Houthis claim attack on Riyadh airport
03:59 , Maroosha MuzaffarYemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they struck Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile on Thursday, damaging a parked Saudi Airlines plane that caught fire.
Air India and Lufthansa suspended flights to the Saudi capital.
Saudi Arabia has not commented on the latest claim, but said three people were killed in strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports earlier this week.
The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia because it supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government in the civil war.
They have also threatened to strike Saudi energy facilities.
USS Abraham Lincoln docks in San Diego after 10-month deployment in support of Iran war
Thursday 8 October 2026 20:45 , Brendan RasciusThe USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that had been deployed for a record 265 days at sea and supported US operations in Iran, has docked in San Diego, California.
The carrier drew national attention following reports of stress among the crew and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages. Pentagon officials downplayed those reports.
Trump defends his comments about Iran destroying US cities
Thursday 8 October 2026 20:27 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump defended his comments about Iran destroying U.S. cities in a lengthy Truth Social post on Thursday afternoon.
The president initially sparked backlash when, at a Monday rally in Nebraska, he said: “They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles; let them take out San Diego.” The White House later denounced media coverage of those remarks, clarifying that he was addressing the threat a nuclear-armed Iran could pose.
“The Fake and Artificial News is out there trying to say that I’m inviting the enemy to bomb San Diego and Los Angeles,” Trump wrote on Thursday. “In actuality, what I was talking about was that a temporary increase in the price of Gasoline is a small price to pay for Iran not having a Nuclear Weapon and, if you want to see a big price, can you imagine what it would be like if they bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles?”
Trump swats away female journalist after she asks him to explain ‘take out’ LA and San Diego comment
Thursday 8 October 2026 19:00 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump swatted away a question from a female reporter at the White House when she asked him to explain his comment about Iran “taking out” Los Angeles and San Diego.
Addressing a rally crowd in Grand Island, Nebraska, Monday, the president had been discussing the Iran war driving up gas prices due to the blockading of the Strait of Hormuz, which he said was “a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe.”
He then continued: “They can take out a city – let ’em take, let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. That’s – this is a very small price to pay.”
Trump swats away question about his ‘take out’ LA and San Diego remark
Watch: Iran-backed groups target Riyadh airport with ballistic missiles
Thursday 8 October 2026 18:00 , Maira ButtTrump says US will not attack Iran before 3 November
Thursday 8 October 2026 17:37 , Alex RossDonald Trump said on Thursday the United States is having productive discussions with Iran and will not launch an attack on the country before US midterm congressional elections in November.
"We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He said the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect and that oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
"We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd," Trump said.
US military planes worth up to $3.3 billion now lost or damaged in Iran war, Congress report says
Thursday 8 October 2026 17:00 , Daniel KeaneThe U.S. military has seen 81 fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft worth as much as $3.3 billion damaged or destroyed in President Donald Trump’s war with Iran so far, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Trump launched his Operation Epic Fury airstrikes against Tehran, in partnership with Israel, on February 28, since when it has seen airplanes, helicopters and drones hit in retaliatory strikes.
The total cited includes a costly F-35A fighter jet and a four-engine E-3 Sentry among the casualties, while MQ-9 Reaper drones, used for surveillance and search-and-rescue operations, account for more than half of the losses.
Read our full story below.
More than 80 planes worth up to $3 billion damaged or lost in Iran war, report finds
Iranian intelligence sets sights on US military bases in Germany, WiWo reports
Thursday 8 October 2026 16:00 , Maira ButtUS military installations in Germany, including Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases, are being targeted by Iranian intelligence services amid concerns over potential covert attacks linked to the Iran conflict, news outlet WirtschaftsWoche reported on Thursday.
Three weeks ago, Israel warned US and German partners of a potential threat, with concern focused on bases supporting American military operations and logistics linked to the conflict with Iran. The report cited several unnamed Western intelligence officials.
The Iranian and Israeli embassies in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The German defence ministry declined comment.
"It is inappropriate to discuss matters of intelligence, and we will not comment on specific threat reporting or force protection measures," a US European Command Spokesperson said. "US European Command remains vigilant and continuously assesses the security environment across the European theatre."
A source told Reuters that Germany has been monitoring increased Iranian activity for weeks, without referencing what was mentioned in the WirtschaftsWoche article in particular.
Houthi spokesperson warns workers at Saudi oil sites, renews threats to airlines, airports
Thursday 8 October 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtA military spokesperson for Yemen's Houthis warned workers at Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities to avoid sites the group considers targets and renewed threats of attacks against airlines and airports in a statement on Wednesday amid escalating violence between the two sides.
FlyDubai attacker called women ‘rotten flesh’ in misogynistic social media posts: report
Thursday 8 October 2026 14:30 , Maira ButtThe flydubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed a flight captain to hijack a plane en route to Israel referred to women as “rotten flesh” in a series of misogynistic social media posts in the years before his arrest, according to a report.
Hamam Al-Hammami, 29, is accused of attempting to crash the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September after attacking the pilot with a crash axe.
But he was stopped when passengers broke into the cockpit and tied him up with headphone wires, before a reserve flydubai pilot travelling on the flight landed the aircraft at a regional airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The Omani national was subsequently arrested and transferred to Abu Dhabi, where he is being questioned.
FlyDubai attacker called women ‘rotten flesh’ in misogynistic online posts: report
The long-deployed USS Lincoln is returning home to San Diego
Thursday 8 October 2026 14:00 , Maira ButtThe USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home to San Diego Thursday after supporting the Iran war during a record long deployment of 265 uninterrupted days at sea that included reports of deteriorating conditions among its crew.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew out to the carrier on Wednesday to give the crew the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive that is typically reserved for significant achievement in combat.
Hegseth pushed back against what he said were efforts to turn the “Lincoln into some sort of a symbol, a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission.”
The long-deployed USS Lincoln is returning home to San Diego
Smoke seen rising from aircraft at Riyadh airport
Thursday 8 October 2026 13:44 , Maira ButtSmoke has been seen rising from a stationary aircraft at Riyadh airport on Thursday, according to a witness and three people briefed on the matter.
There was no immediate official confirmation from Saudi authorities on the reported incident.
The aircraft was believed to be empty at the time, the sources said.
Late on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said that one person had been killed in a strike on Riyadh airport and two others in an attack on Abha airport in the southwest.
Iran 'sets sights on US military bases in Germany'
Thursday 8 October 2026 13:00 , Daniel KeaneIranian intelligence services are targeting U.S. military bases in Germany, including Ramstein and Spangdahlem, amid concerns over potential covert attacks linked to the Iran conflict, German news outlet WirtschaftsWoche reported on Thursday.
Israel warned US and German partners three weeks ago of a potential threat, with concern focused on bases supporting US military operations and logistics linked to the conflict with Iran, the report said citing several unnamed Western intelligence officials.
Hormuz shipping falls to two-month low as Iran and US make differing claims
Thursday 8 October 2026 12:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIRGC adviser Majid Mirahmadi said on Thursday that an average of just 10 ships a day were passing through the waterway, down sharply from about 125 before the war.
“The strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have full control over it,” he told the Fars news agency.
However, US secretary of state Marco Rubio disputed Iran’s account, saying Tehran had “lost complete control” of the strait and that “there’s almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began”.
Meanwhile, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in more than two months after tanker attacks intensified last week, according to Kpler.
The latest data shows that just seven commodity vessels passed through the strait on Tuesday, the lowest number since 23 July.
Tanker off Qatar’s northern coast struck by multiple projectiles
Thursday 8 October 2026 11:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarA tanker off Qatar’s northern coast was struck by “multiple projectiles”, causing an unknown number of casualties, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The attack came as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz intensified, with Iran saying it would close a southern route used by some vessels to bypass its blockade.
At least 12 attacks on oil and gas tankers were recorded around the strait in the week to 5 October, while India said 12 crew members were injured in a separate tanker attack.
Iran says it has full control of the strait, but US secretary of state Marco Rubio disputes this, saying Iran has “lost complete control” and that oil flows are close to pre-war levels.
Trump gives mixed messages on status of war
Thursday 8 October 2026 10:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump has given mixed messages this week on the status of the war.
“We’re doing extremely well in the Islamic Republic of Iran, very well,” he said on Tuesday.
“But we have to finish up, and it’s only a question of which way do we want to do it: Do we want to do it the nice way or the not-so-nice way? And pretty soon, you’ll find out.”
Then on Wednesday, Trump said the war had been won. “It’s a war that’s been won from the standpoint of what we have to do,” he said, adding: “It’ll be over very quickly. And when it does, and when it does, oil prices will come tumbling.”
Trump repeats claim that Iran could destroy LA or San Diego
Thursday 8 October 2026 09:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump once again claimed that the war against Iran was necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and potentially attacking US cities such as Los Angeles or San Diego.
However, US intelligence assessed in 2025 that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that its weapons programme had been suspended in 2003.
Iran also does not have missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.
Despite this, Trump said: “We’re not going to let that happen” and repeated that Iran “would use it” if it obtained a nuclear weapon.
India condemns strikes on Riyadh airports
Thursday 8 October 2026 08:52 , Adam WithnallIndia says it condemns the attacks this week by Houthi rebels on two airports in Riyadh.
Saudi officials say two people were killed and 28 wounded in one attack at Abha International Airport, and one person was killed and eight wounded in a separate strike on King Khalid International Airport.
“The targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We wish speedy recovery for those injured. We express solidarity and stand with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Attacks on tankers in Hormuz hit highest of any week since start of Iran war – report
Thursday 8 October 2026 08:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarAttacks on oil and gas tankers in the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest weekly level since the Iran war began, according to maritime security sources cited by Reuters.
At least 12 tankers were attacked between 28 September and 5 October, while the International Maritime Organization recorded nine incidents.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have also continued drone surveillance, radio harassment and attempted attacks on vessels.
The escalation comes as Gulf producers increase oil exports, while India said 12 crew members were injured after a projectile struck a Panama-flagged oil tanker travelling through the strait.
