The U.S. military denied Iran's claim on Thursday that it captured an American drone near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also said three tankers struck mines while attempting to exit the strait through an unauthorized route.
Israelis are awaiting final election results as allegations of foreign interference have emerged. And in Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels said a Saudi strike killed 13 people.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Thursday. Read our full coverage here.
Iran says 3 oil tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran said three oil tankers struck mines and caught fire over the past 24 hours while attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorized route, according to the state broadcaster, which cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The report did not identify the tankers or provide details on casualties. The Associated Press could not confirm the report. It came as tensions are high in the region over concerns that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran could resume.
Iran's navy said the tankers switched off their radar and navigation systems and ignored warnings as they attempted to exit through a restricted route. It said the damaged vessels were abandoned off the southern coast of the waterway.
Houthis say strike killed 13 people, and separate paint factory strike could spread toxins
In Yemen, at least 13 people, mostly women and children, were killed Thursday in a Saudi airstrike in western Taiz province, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. There was no immediate comment from the coalition.
The deaths come as fighting intensifies around the city of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest, which Houthi rebels have fully encircled since early October.
“The city is in famine, not on the brink of it,” Taiz Gov. Nabil Shamsan said Thursday. He said cooking gas had been blocked entirely and hospitals had nearly run out of oxygen.
Human Rights Watch said the siege may amount to the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. The World Food Program said this month it could not reach more than 600,000 people in Taiz who depend on aid.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi on Thursday dismissed reports of a siege as “Saudi-fabricated claims,” saying the way was open for food and humanitarian needs.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, claimed in a pre-recorded statement on Thursday that the rebels used missiles and a drone to attack various sites in Saudi Arabia, including airports, a military command and multiple oil facilities. Saree did not mention when those attacks, which he claimed had resulted in deaths and injuries, occurred.
The AP could not verify the claims and the Saudi government did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier on Thursday, Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward its capital city, Riyadh, by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, said a report by the state-owned Saudi Press Agency, shortly after multiple explosions were heard over the capital.
The report came on the heels of alerts issued by the kingdom’s civil defense in the capital, the southern city of Najran and the central Al-Kharj province.
Israelis await results as Netanyahu amplifies claim election was ‘stolen’
Israelis are awaiting final election results expected to be announced Thursday evening.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party amplified allegations that the country’s Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election.
Final results are expected to confirm that Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority in parliament. It remains unclear who will govern because no party won the 61-seat majority needed to control the Knesset.
Netanyahu has seized on a new request by the country's elections committee to the Shin Bet intelligence service to investigate alleged election interference by unspecified "foreign entities against the Israeli interest." The request had no reference to Arab-led parties. But Netanyahu and his Likud party said no party should cooperate with Arab-led ones.
Israeli strike on civilian vehicle kills 2 in Gaza
In Gaza, an Israeli strike on a civilian vehicle in the central part of the territory killed two people and wounded one other, according to health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
Israel’s military did not respond to a request for comment.
The death toll in Gaza has climbed on a nearly daily basis more than a year after Israel and Hamas agreed to a fragile ceasefire. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, Israeli strikes on the enclave have killed more than 1,550 Palestinians since the ceasefire began in October 2025, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records and is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
US military denies claim that Iran captured American drone
The U.S. military is denying Iran’s claim that it captured a surveillance drone near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state television reported Thursday that the Revolutionary Guard, in an “electronic warfare operation,” detected and identified the MQM-170 Outlaw drone, took over its control systems and landed it in Iranian territory.
U.S. Central Command said the report was false.
“In the past weeks and months, the IRGC has repeatedly lied out of desperation, and today is no different,” said Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the Central Command. He did not provide more details.
Iran says it received a message from Vance
An Iranian security official said Thursday his government received a message from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, according to a report by the semi-official Fars news agency.
The report did not detail the message, which was sent to Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. It said Iran has not responded to the letter.
Diplomats say U.S. officials have told Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week's midterm elections in the United States.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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