Iran says 7 tankers were damaged in Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast news

Dubai: Iran's state television reported that seven oil tankers were either struck by attacks or hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday, possibly the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the Iran war started on February 28.

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7 oil tankers damaged in Strait of Hormuz, Iran's state television reports

Iran's state television reported that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged overnight Thursday after being targeted or striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

If verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the start of the Iran war on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.

Quoting a statement by the Revolutionary Guard's navy, the Iranian report said that four of the tankers were transferring oil when they were targeted and caught fire. Another three were damaged and immobilised when they hit naval mines.

The report didn't provide details about possible casualties or the flags of the tankers.

The report also warned that the Revolutionary Guard may target US bases in the region if the US tried to allow oil tankers to transit through other parts of the strait.

The Revolutionary Guard had routinely targeted US bases in Gulf countries during the war.

Yemen's government warns Houthi rallies could be targeted

Yemen's Defence Ministry said Thursday that Houthi rallies and mobilisation programmes will be considered legitimate military targets and warned residents in Houthi-held areas against taking part.

The announcement was shared in a social media post and is considered a major escalation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as well as civilians living in areas under their control.

Deliberate attacks on civilians could amount to a war crime.

Rallies and what Houthis call “cultural courses” are one of the Iranian-backed group's main tools for mobilisation of supporters and fighters.

The Defence Ministry statement said such assemblies are used by the Houthis to mobilise children for combat.

Death toll from strike on Saudi airport rises to 2

Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday that the number of people killed in an attack on the King Fahd International Airport has risen to two.

The dead are a Saudi citizen and an Indian national who was living in the kingdom, according to a statement. Another eight people suffered injuries in the attack that occurred late Wednesday.

Saudi authorities didn't say who was responsible for the attack or provide any details about the attack reported earlier Thursday. The Houthi rebels issued no statement.

King Fahd Airport on the country's east near Bahrain and Qatar has been attacked previously amid a wider wave of Houthi missile and projectile strikes targeting major airports in Saudi Arabia.

Disabled Syrian man killed in Israeli forces raid

A civilian with special needs was killed during an Israeli forces raid Thursday on the village of Jamla in southern Syria's Daraa province, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

It did not give more details about how the disabled man was killed. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024, Israel seized control of a UN-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has occupied it since.

Jamla isn't inside the Israeli occupied zone but Israeli forces often make incursions into areas outside the zone.

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