Saudi air defences intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh and three drones targeting the kingdom’s Eastern Region, while Bahrain issued two public safety alerts on Sunday amid escalating regional tensions.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the two missiles heading towards Riyadh were intercepted and destroyed. Coalition forces subsequently shot down three drones over the Eastern Region within a period of several hours.
The Saudi Civil Defence issued and later lifted an emergency alert in Riyadh, urging residents to follow safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry issued two alerts within a span of more than two hours, asking citizens and residents to remain calm, move to safe locations and follow official channels.
IRGC targets US air defence radar system
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its forces had targeted a US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain with six drones belonging to its Aerospace Force. The claim was carried by Iranian state broadcaster.
Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance aircraft over Yemen’s al-Jawf region. He said it was the fifth aircraft the Houthis had downed since the escalation began.
Trump holding off further attacks
The developments came as US President Donald Trump told senior advisers he was considering holding off further attacks on Iran, provided Tehran and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen did not provoke Washington, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Trump has alternated between threatening renewed military strikes and signalling a willingness to wind down hostilities. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have both urged him not to resume attacks, according to people familiar with their conversations.
However, US military preparations for a possible escalation continue, with a third aircraft carrier expected to move into the Middle East in the coming days.
Two tankers strike mines in Hormuz
In another development in the Gulf, Iran’s IRGC Navy said two oil tankers had struck naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation. It said two other tankers turned back after receiving warnings from its maritime traffic control centre.
Iran also claimed to have intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-1 Predator drone over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it had used an advanced air defence system.
Elsewhere, the Houthis reported 72 Saudi-led coalition air strikes across four Yemeni governorates in 24 hours, while claiming a cumulative 5,020 air and missile attacks since fighting resumed over the summer.
Hamas commander killed
In Gaza, Hamas’ armed wing confirmed the killing of senior commander Samir Abu Younis in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had struck a senior Hamas commander but did not identify him.
Israeli forces also detained Palestinian journalist Mohammed Ateeq during a raid on his home in Burqin, west of Jenin, while imposing a curfew on the West Bank town of Beit Ummar and conducting further raids in Hebron.
In Syria, a car bomb in a Damascus suburb killed two people, including a child, and wounded another, according to state news agency Sana.
