Trump denounces Houthi attacks after Saudi crown prince call as coalition intercepts missiles

Click here to follow the latest updates in the conflict with Iran.

Oil prices fell in early morning trading in Asia on Tuesday after surging nearly $2 per barrel the day before, Reuters reported.

Investors weighed supply disruptions threatened by attacks on Saudi Arabia against the potential influx of Russian diesel.

Brent crude dropped 61 cents, or 0.57%, to $106.04 a barrel by midnight GMT after closing Monday at $106.65, its highest mark since Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 47 cents, or 0.5%, to $93.27.

An agreement between President Donald Trump and Russia would allow Russian diesel to reach international markets, alongside a temporary U.S. waiver of sanctions on Russian fuel.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, warned foreign nations Monday against interfering in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

"No extra-regional power has the right to threaten, maintain a hegemonic presence, or interfere in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf," Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said, according to the IRGC.

A growing number of empty supertankers are avoiding the Persian Gulf following recent Iranian attacks on regional maritime infrastructure, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Citing tanker-tracking data, the outlet reported that at least 10 supertankers and multiple Suezmax vessels have halted their journeys or diverted from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, a key oil hub used to transfer crude oil outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation into why its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of Houthi missiles and drones that struck Riyadh’s international airport, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 300, The Associated Press reported Monday.

Citing officials, the outlet said initial findings signal the Houthis launched multiple drones to overwhelm the system before firing a mix of cruise and ballistic missiles at King Khalid International Airport.

The probe is focused on blind spots after the Houthi weapons traveled more than 620 miles to reach the capital without an early warning.

According to one official, the attack posed a significant challenge to the kingdom's U.S.-made Patriot missile defense systems because the Houthis have advanced weapons equipped with warheads capable of changing direction midflight.

A 14-year-old boy was killed and 24 students and teachers were injured on Monday when unexploded Hezbollah ordnance detonated during a hike near Israel's northern border with Lebanon, The Times of Israel reported.

The Israel Defense Forces said the explosive was a cluster munition left over from a Hezbollah rocket attack.

Investigators said a student picked up the munition and placed it in a backpack before it exploded minutes later. Police offered a conflicting account, saying it detonated in the boy's hands.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cleared his schedule to visit the injured in hospital, while Israeli officials moved to suspend school hikes near the northern border. 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected Britain’s claims on Monday linking Tehran to September's terror plot targeting RAF Fairford, calling the accusations "unfounded."

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said that the plot was "highly likely" coordinated in Iran and "almost certainly" directed by the Revolutionary Guards during an address to the British Parliament.

Tehran argued that London relied on speculative language without providing evidence, accusing the U.K. of attempting to distract from its role in U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran, Iran International reported.

OpenAI annnounced Oct. 8 that it had disrupted a covert Iranian influence operation that used artificial intelligence to generate social media comments, fabricate journalist personas and pitch articles to global media outlets.

Using English and Persian, the actors used ChatGPT to create stories and pitches focused on the U.S.-Iran and Israel-Iran conflicts.

OpenAI said in a statement that it assigned the campaign a score of 4 on its six-point influence operation scale, pointing to its success in getting AI-generated content published in mainstream and syndicated news outlets.

Between July 2025 and October 2026, the operation successfully placed nearly 100 articles under fictitious bylines — such as "Noah Lamington" and "Sophia Gonzalez" — in publications including International Policy Digest, Eurasia Review and Common Dreams.

President Donald Trump did not rule out further military action against Iran on Monday, downplaying Tehran's military capabilities while predicting the war would end soon and oil prices would plunge.

Asked by a reporter whether the U.S. would take action against Iran after Britain and its allies linked Tehran to the terror plot at RAF Fairford, Trump said Washington would see.

“We're going to see,” Trump told reporters outside the White House, before adding, “There's plenty of action... When you say action against Iran. They have no Navy. They have no air force right there. Inflation now is 301%.”

Trump also predicted a swift end to the war, saying oil prices would then fall sharply.

“As soon as the war with Iran ends, which will be very soon with Iran, the oil will drop like a rock, and it's going to end very soon,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump confirmed a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday while sharply criticizing recent Houthi strikes on regional targets.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump criticized ongoing Houthi attacks in the region.

“The Houthis are misbehaving,” Trump said before departing the White House Monday for Joint Base Andrews. “They're misbehaving very badly.”

Turning to Tehran, Trump reaffirmed his administration’s position: “I just know Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and that's now happened. They're never going to have a nuclear weapon.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report that a tanker was struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

“A verified source has reported that a Products Tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile whilst conducting an outbound transit,” the maritime authority said on X.

Authorities are investigating, and ships have been advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO

Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of a 38-year-old Iranian professional mountaineer, Human Rights for Sport said.

The group said Iranian security forces had raided Ali Sina Mostafavi’s home in April and beat him.

Branch 1 of the Kerman Revolutionary Court had originally sentenced Mostafavi to death.

“His sentence was confirmed on 28/09/2026 by Branch 41 of the Supreme Court,” the rights group said on Facebook.

“He has a history of climbing several peaks in Iran, as well as climbing the peaks of Island Peak and Kalapatar in Nepal, and has also attempted to climb Ama Dablam,” the group added.

Mostafavi's case is part of a broader crackdown on prominent Iranian athletes following widespread protests.

Saudi aviation authorities extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport (RUH) through Oct. 17 on Monday following a series of deadly missile and drone strikes targeting the capital’s main airport.

The official Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) extends the suspension of flight operations as civil aviation inspectors and security forces assess damage and work to restore airspace safety across the region.

“The closure impacts nearly 700 flights per day,” Flightradar24 said on X.

The decision comes after a weekend of escalating violence, including a Houthi strike Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, followed by another strike Sunday that killed one person.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that the September terror plot targeting RAF Fairford was highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran and "almost certainly" directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“We will not tolerate these threats on our soil,” Burnham said Monday in parliament.

“We will crack down on Iran's use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm,” he added.

The remarks came as the United States, Britain and other allies condemned Iran in a joint statement.

“The UK has also concluded this event demonstrates the IRGC’s continued willingness to project hostile activity beyond its borders through covert networks and proxy actors.”

“Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce people on our territories through proxies or any other means is unacceptable,” the statement said.

Iran's ambassador to Britain, Seyed Ali Mousavi, denied Tehran's involvement in the suspected plot targeting air base after being summoned to the British Foreign Office on Monday.

Iran has deployed combat and support units along its borders to ensure security, according to Iranian state media.

Brig. Gen. Ali Jahanshahi, commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces, announced the deployment in an Oct. 10 interview with Mehr News Agency, the semiofficial, state-sponsored news outlet.

"The bulk of the ground force units are stationed on the borders of the northwest, west, southwest, east, northeast and southeast of the country, especially on the Makran coast, and by God's grace they enjoy very good readiness," Jahanshahi claimed.

According to Mehr, the forces positioned along the borders include special forces, rapid reaction, special operations, mechanized and artillery units, all backed by operational support.

Jahanshahi said that Tehran had taken "significant measures" to overhaul its defenses following joint strikes by Israel and the United States in 2025.

"We revised operational plans, modified our combat structure and organization, and prioritized equipping units with new weaponry featuring precision-strike, smart, and network-enabled capabilities," Jahanshahi told the outlet.

Saudi Arabia issued an urgent early warning Monday, alerting residents in Riyadh to a possible "hostile threat."

"Early warning platform: Potential hostile threat in Riyadh. Follow safety instructions," the Saudi Civil Defense said on X.

Officials advised residents to remain alert and follow emergency safety protocols as defense forces assessed the situation.

The warning came amid reports of multiple booms across Riyadh, with Reuters reporting that a witness heard three loud explosions.

Thick black smoke billows into the sky from an oil tanker after a reported attack near the Strait of Hormuz.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss economic sanctions on Iran and Russia, maritime tension in the Gulf of Oman and Treasury policies facing criticism from Democratic politicians.