Your Daily Middle East Briefing

Two Cargo Ships Sink in Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Attacks

• Maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz has significantly deteriorated, with two cargo ships sinking in the past 24-48 hours after being struck by unknown projectiles. The Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride sank on Tuesday, and the merchant vessel Cape Dao, registered under Antigua and Barbuda, also went down after being hit on September 23, resulting in one Indian crew member's death. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy claimed a cargo ship sank after hitting a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, marking the first time Iran has reported such an incident during the ongoing conflict.

  CNNOpbThenationalnews

• Houthi rebels have continued their missile and drone campaign against Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi-led coalition releasing footage of recent attacks on Riyadh airport. On Thursday, the coalition thwarted a missile attack targeting the holy city of Medina, though the Houthis denied responsibility for this particular strike, despite their ongoing assaults. Earlier in the week, an administrative building of Saudi Aramco was hit by a missile, causing a fire, and falling debris from intercepted cruise missiles in Riyadh injured four people and damaged 15 homes.

  ThenationalnewsClickondetroitCbsnews

• Amid the heightened regional tensions, the second summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council, originally scheduled for October 24, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed. Separately, an Israeli strike on an apartment in Gaza City on Wednesday killed one woman, with Israel's military stating it targeted a Hamas militant.

  ThenationalnewsClickondetroitCbsnews