Wednesday, October 14Global edition

World

Yemen's military claims it has taken Mokha as Saudi-backed offensive widens

Government forces say they seized the Red Sea port city and a strategic town near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but unnamed Yemeni officials told wire agencies that troops had reached only the outskirts. The Houthis struck Saudi Aramco facilities and two airports inside Saudi Arabia in retaliation, and Turkey and Pakistan agreed to deploy forces to the kingdom.

2 min read

US blockade cuts Iran's crude exports to zero for the first time

Iran loaded no oil onto tankers in September — the first month since the war began in February that its exports fell to zero. At least 50 Iranian tankers are blocked from leaving, and 20 crews anchored off Sri Lanka are running short of food, fuel and water.

2 min read

Iran's oil minister quits as US sanctions squeeze crude exports

Mohsen Paknejad cited personal reasons for his departure, though the timing comes as a US naval blockade disrupts oil sales that are central to government revenue. Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, has been named acting minister.

2 min read

Hormuz traffic down to 7% of normal as attacks on shipping resume

Commercial crossings through the strait have fallen to about 6 vessels a day, against a pre-war average of 84. The September exchange — 5 US strikes on Iranian tankers, 10 Iranian attacks near the strait — was the largest declared action against shipping since the war began, and has pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel.

2 min read

US permanently disables three Iranian oil tankers in Persian Gulf

Washington says its military's main goal is to stop Iran exporting energy, as part of a wider push to strangle its economy. An Iranian official says the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days if the US eases pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.

2 min read

Ethiopia expels diplomats and severs ties with Eritrea as rebels push south

Fighting spread to Addis Ababa and towards the pilgrimage site of Lalibela this week after a seven-group rebel alliance launched attacks on 23 September. Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan are holding a summit in Alamein on Sunday, as all three countries deny Ethiopian accusations that they are backing the rebels.

3 min read

Ukraine fires its own ballistic missile in combat for the first time

President Zelenskyy confirmed the FP-7 — built by Ukrainian firm Fire Point, with a range of up to 250 kilometres — was used against Russian-occupied territory on October 1. Whether it hit its target is unknown, but Zelenskyy's announcement pointed firmly at expanding production.

2 min read

Pakistan quietly shifts its language on Iran to cover US sanctions

The Foreign Office now says Pakistan will comply with 'all applicable sanctions regimes' under domestic and international law. The earlier formulation made no mention of sanctions regimes or domestic law, focusing instead on bilateral trade agreements with Tehran.

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Explosions rock Addis Ababa near military sites after drone ban

Blasts were heard overnight close to Ethiopia's military headquarters and near the secret service base. An opposition-linked source told Reuters its forces carried out drone strikes, though the claim has not been confirmed and Ethiopian authorities have not responded.

1 min read

EU adopts common rules on returning rejected asylum seekers

The legislation, part of the EU's wider asylum pact, sets a shared framework across member states and Norway. Amnesty International has warned that return centres cannot be run in a way that is compatible with human rights protections.

1 min read

US-led coalition ends its 12-year military mission in Iraq

The final withdrawal from the Kurdistan region is scheduled for Wednesday. Baghdad is marking the departure as a sovereignty milestone, but the government has yet to resolve how it will manage Iran-backed armed factions once foreign troops are gone.

2 min read