Saudi Arabia Shoots Down Missile as October Sets Record for Gulf Shipping Attacks
Twelve incidents this month mark the worst stretch for commercial vessels since 2017, according to a Washington-based think tank.
By Layla Edwards ·
Saudi forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired toward the Kingdom on October 24. The Directorate of Civil Defence issued a warning to residents of Riyadh, Najran, and Wadi al-Dawasir, advising them to follow safety protocols. Officials later confirmed the immediate danger had passed in those areas.
The incident added to a string of maritime events that have defined the past month. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy reported that two supertankers struck naval mines while attempting to use an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations logged a strike on a tanker by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles off the Omani coast.
A Washington-based think tank that has tracked global maritime security incidents since 2017 counted twelve attacks in October. That total makes this the worst month on record for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
Tensions escalated on land as well. US President Donald Trump told a rally in Florida that Washington might launch another military operation against Iran. In response, Major General Abdollahi, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, said the country would not allow "rusting US warships" to re-enter the Persian Gulf. Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, called the threats from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signs of desperation rather than power.
Diplomatic efforts continue on the ground. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week. He plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and join the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit on October 27. In London, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated that Britain is "redoubling" its search for diplomatic solutions to the conflict.
Other regional developments include Israeli forces forcing Palestinian residents of Hebron to leave their homes on foot and demolishing buildings near the site where two soldiers were killed. In Syria, protesters rallied against recent Israeli incursions in the south, which resulted in the death of a man with a disability. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also announced that the time has come to reunify Libya's eastern and western administrations.
Source: Middle East Eye
