Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile as October Sets Record for Gulf Shipping Attacks

Saudi coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone targeted at the Kingdom on 24 October. The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence issued a warning to residents, advising them to follow safety protocols. Minutes later, officials announced that the immediate danger had passed in Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir.

Maritime incidents accompanied the aerial threats. The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that two supertankers hit naval mines while attempting to use an unauthorised route south of the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations separately reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast.

Data from a Washington-based think tank tracking maritime security incidents since 2017 indicates that October is the worst month on record for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters. This data marks the highest number of recorded incidents for any single month in the past decade.

Tensions escalated verbally as well. US President Donald Trump told a rally in Florida that Washington might launch another military operation against Iran. Major General Abdollahi, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, responded that the country would not allow "rusting US warships to re-enter the Persian Gulf" under any circumstances. Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, described the threats from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a sign of desperation rather than power.

Diplomatic activity continues amid the conflict. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week. He is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit on 27 October. In London, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain is "redoubling" efforts to find diplomatic solutions, noting that the conflict is increasing costs for British families.

On the ground, Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank ordered Palestinian residents of Hebron to leave their homes on foot. They demolished several buildings near the site where two Israeli soldiers were shot dead and detained dozens of people during raids. In Syria, protest rallies occurred on Friday against repeated Israeli incursions in the south, following an incursion earlier in the week that killed a man with a disability.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that the time has come to reunify Libya's rival eastern and western administrations, hinting at an announcement in the near future. In Israel, Netanyahu warned the country to prepare for international banking sanctions and suggested cryptocurrency could help circumvent them. These comments were made four days before the Knesset election.