Saudis tell Sanaa residents around oil facility to evacuate, and other Middle East developments

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday asked residents in the Yemeni capital near a state oil company facility to evacuate ahead of "operations."

Coalition spokesman Gen. Turki al-Maliki didn't specify what kind of operations would be carried out. But Gen. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthi rebels said there would be a "harsh and painful" response on the Saudi capital if Sanaa is targeted.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday.

Saudis warn Sanaa residents to evacuate from around state oil company facility

The Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday asked residents of Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, to evacuate the site of a state oil company facility and nearby storage areas ahead of "operations."

The rare statement by coalition spokesman Gen. Turki al-Maliki Tuesday said it was for the residents' safety. The evacuation area is situated on a hill in western Sanaa, overlooking the capital.

Houthi military spokesman Gen. Yahya Saree said in a brief statement that there would be a "harsh and painful" response on the Saudi capital if Sanaa is targeted.

The Houthi rebels also warned on Tuesday that Aramco oil facilities are their "legitimate" targets and asked people, including workers, to stay away from these sites.

Meanwhile, Houthi political bureau spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Sky News in an interview Monday that Houthi military operations against Saudi Arabia would continue "until all Saudi oil facilities and vital facilities are destroyed" if Saudi Arabia does not respond to calls to end the war.

Houthis say airstrikes hit areas in Yemen under their control

The rebel-run al-Masirah satellite television said Tuesday that two airstrikes hit the Houthi-held Red Sea island of Kamaran, while a third hit Qanawis district, 34 miles northwest of the port city of Hodeida.

The station also reported airstrikes in the province of Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia.

Al-Masirah blamed Saudi Arabia for the strikes, but didn't provide further details.

The rebels also said they shot down a Saudi drone over the Houthi stronghold province of Saada, which is in northern Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.

The strikes came hours after Saudi Arabia sounded air raid sirens Monday evening in the capital, Riyadh, and residents heard explosions.

The Houthis said they fired a ballistic missile toward King Khalid International Airport, which has been hammered by a string of deadly attacks in recent days.

Think tank says Iran targeting ship-to-ship oil transfers

The Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday Iran appears to be targeting vessels carrying out ship-to-ship oil transfers in and near the Strait of Hormuz to hobble their ability to move energy through the strait.

The think tank posted on X that Iran has increased its threats against vessels in the strait in order to reestablish control over the waterway by deterring vessels from using non-Iranian-approved routes.

It also said Iran may be developing its anti-ship missile capabilities to improve its ability to target vessels.

The U.K.'s Maritime Trade Operations Centre posted on X Monday that at least three vessels were attacked by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. The organization did not identify the ships and there were no immediate claims of responsibility for any of the attacks.

But Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's top security body, told state TV on Saturday that Iranian forces were striking five "smuggling ships" every night on average over recent months.

Rezaei appeared to be referring to U.S. efforts to guide oil shippers through the strait before they are used to transfer oil to larger tankers waiting in the Gulf of Oman.

Airlines warned against using Saudi airspace

International airlines were warned by Yemen's Houthi-controlled Foreign Ministry on Tuesday that flights to Saudi airports were "unsafe" except those serving the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.

The ministry said the kingdom "must realize that security, stability, and sovereignty must belong to everyone — otherwise, no one will enjoy them," a statement published by the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency said.

Meanwhile, Air India has announced cancellation of all its flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah until Oct. 17.

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 1

An Israeli strike Tuesday killed one person in the Gaza Strip.

Health officials at Shifa Hospital said they received a body that was partially charred. The Israeli military said the strike, in the Tuffah area of Gaza City, targeted a military operative.

The death is the latest since a ceasefire took effect just over a year ago. Nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, but says more than half of those killed were women and children.

Egypt, Iran foreign ministers discuss Mideast de-escalation

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called Tuesday for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Abdelatty said during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that there was "no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted."

Abdelatty also urged prioritizing diplomacy and finding a political solution to the conflict between Iran and the U.S. to avert "further escalation and instability" in the region, according to the Egyptian readout of the call.

Turkish, Pakistani top soldiers discuss regional developments

Turkey's Defense Ministry said Tuesday the country's army chief of staff spoke by telephone with his Pakistani counterpart as both countries weigh dispatching military support to Saudi Arabia under a trilateral defense agreement.

The ministry said Turkish Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, discussed "bilateral relations and regional issues," without providing details.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week that Turkey and Pakistan were considering military support for their ally under the deal but ruled out sending combat troops. He added that Turkey was also trying to resolve the issue through diplomacy.

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