Airport in the Saudi capital is attacked again, and other Mideast developments

The international airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was attacked again and President Donald Trump said he was evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said it rescued 22 crew members after a fire on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. And a drone strike in Sudan killed dozens of people, including children, a rights group said.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.

Airport in Saudi capital of Riyadh is struck again

The airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was attacked again, killing 12 people, civil aviation authorities said. A missile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport and dozens of people were also wounded.

President Donald Trump told reporters he is evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who claimed earlier strikes against Saudi Arabia this week. King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times, with four people killed.

Fighting in neighboring Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated with a major military offensive launched a week ago.

The UAE says 22 crew rescued from burning tanker

The United Arab Emirates’ national guard rescued 22 crew members after a fire broke out aboard an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, the force said Saturday.

The crew members, all of Asian nationalities, received first aid and were in stable condition, the statement said. The guard did not identify the tanker or specify the fire’s location or cause.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy as saying an oil tanker was burning after hitting a naval mine while trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. It was not clear if the incident was the same one.

A surge in attacks have targeted commercial vessels transiting the strait during the U.S.-Iran war as Tehran seeks to assert control over the waterway.

Drone strike kills at least 40 people in Sudan, rights group says

A drone strike killed at least 40 people, including children, in Sudan along the border with Ethiopia, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group that tracks the war.

It said the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that has been battling Sudan’s military since 2023, was responsible for Friday’s strike in the Abu Shandi area in Sudan’s Blue Nile province.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was appalled by the strike. The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED, though aid groups say the real number is likely higher.

Lebanon praises Trump’s decision to remove flight restrictions

The Lebanese presidency announced on Saturday the official lift of flight restrictions between Lebanon and the U.S. The Reagan administration suspended direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon in 1985 following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

Trump made the surprise announcement in July during a visit by Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun. He ordered the lifting of the restrictions nearly two weeks ago, but the decision was publicly announced on Saturday.

Aoun welcomed the decision, saying it signaled U.S. confidence in Lebanon’s steps to improve civil aviation safety.

The decision comes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group was severely weakened by two wars with Israel over the past two years in which many of the group’s political and military commanders were killed.

Israeli strikes kill 5 Palestinians in Gaza, health officials say

An Israeli strike Saturday killed four people in western Gaza City while another killed one person in the city’s east, officials at Shifa Hospital said.

Israel’s military said it targeted fighters with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Saturday’s strikes came one year after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hamas, yet Israel still launches near-daily strikes. Since the ceasefire, more than 1,480 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry.

Count of US military deaths during Iran war rises to 21

The Pentagon’s official count of deaths among U.S. military personnel that have occurred in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war has risen to 21, but officials said the new total does not reflect more combat deaths.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System on Saturday reflected two more deaths, which a Defense Department official said occurred earlier in the war.

The official said the department is trying to make the count more comprehensive and include all troop deaths in the region, not just those from combat. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Added to the count was Maj. Sorrfly Davius, a New York Police Department officer who was serving with the 42nd Infantry Division of the Army National Guard in Kuwait. He died due to a medical incident days into the war on March 6. The other person was not named.

Tens of thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in the Middle East. Deaths can occur because of medical conditions, training mishaps and suicide.

– By Konstantin Toropin

___

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.