Iran says 7 tankers damaged in Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast news

Iran's state television reported on Thursday that seven oil tankers were either struck by attacks or hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, possibly the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the Iran war started on Feb. 28.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East. Read our full coverage here.

7 oil tankers reported damaged in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s state television reported that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged overnight Thursday after being targeted or striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

If verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.

Quoting a statement by the Revolutionary Guard's navy, the Iranian report said four of the tankers were transferring oil when they were targeted and caught fire. Three more were damaged and immobilized after hitting naval mines. The report didn't provide details about possible casualties or the tankers' flags.

The report also warned that the Revolutionary Guard could target U.S. bases in the region if Washington tried to enable oil tankers to transit through other parts of the strait. The Guard has routinely targeted U.S. bases during the war.

Shipping data and analysis company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday that tanker operators willing to risk the voyage have been transporting oil from Gulf producers through the strait at night, using a U.S. military-protected lane near Oman’s coast with their location systems and mobile phones switched off.

The oil is then transferred to other tankers waiting in the Gulf of Oman for shipment to customers in Asia.

UN chief says Egypt is 'vital’ to solving Mideast crisis

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Egypt has a vital role to play in resolving the Middle East crisis, citing its “defense of the rights of the Palestinian people” and its mediation efforts in the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Guterres, who is due to arrive in Egypt on Friday, said he would also discuss the war in neighbouring Sudan, the situation in Libya and hostilities in Yemen, including the siege of Taiz and Houthi rebel attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia. He called those attacks “totally unacceptable.”

Yemen says rallies in support of Houthi rebels could be targeted

Yemen’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that rallies and mobilization programs by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels will be considered legitimate military targets and warned residents in Houthi-held areas against taking part.

The announcement on social media is considered a major escalation against the Houthis and civilians living in areas under their control. Pro-Houthi rallies are regularly staged on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer.

Deliberate attacks on civilians could be a war crime.

Rallies and what Houthis call “cultural courses” are one of the Iranian-backed group’s main tools to mobilize supporters and fighters. The Defense Ministry said Houthis are also mobilizing children for combat.

Saudi airport strike death toll rises to 2

Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday that the number of people killed in an attack the night before on the King Fahd International Airport has risen to two — a Saudi citizen and an Indian national living in the kingdom. Another eight people suffered injuries in the attack, which occurred late on Wednesday, the statement said.

Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted Thursday on Telegram.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also claimed the Houthis targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu that ignited a fire, as well as the Saudi Defense Ministry in Riyadh. Saree didn't provide any evidence for the ministry strike.

King Fahd Airport in the country's east near Bahrain and Qatar has been attacked previously amid a wider wave of Houthi missile and projectile strikes targeting major Saudi airports.

Disabled Syrian killed in Israeli raid

A civilian with special needs was killed during an Israeli forces raid on the village of Jamla in southern Syria’s Daraa province on Thursday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

The report did not give more details about how the man was killed. The Israeli military said in a statement that soldiers had “identified a suspect approaching them and carried out a suspect apprehension procedure.” It said the incident is under review.

After the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in a lightning Syrian rebel offensive in December 2024, Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has occupied it since.

Jamla is outside the Israeli-occupied zone, but Israeli forces often make incursions into outside areas.

Strikes kill 4 in Gaza Strip

At least four people were killed and several others wounded Thursday in Israeli strikes and gunfire in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said.

One person was killed when a car was struck in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital. Another was killed and others wounded in a strike on a gathering in a street in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said those strikes targeted Hamas militants.

A woman was also killed by Israeli military fire in the northern city of Jabaliya, Shifa Hospital said. And an Israeli strike that hit a refugee camp in Nuseirat, in the central region, killed one person, according to the Awda Hospital.

The Israeli military said it was not immediately aware of the Jabaliya incident and did not immediately comment on the strike that hit the refugee camp.

Iran displays new drones

Iran’s state television on Thursday showed dozens of military drones it claimed are more powerful and more sophisticated than previous iterations.

The report showed the drones in an underground location, adding that a new version of the “Arash” drone now has a 100 kg (220-pound) warhead — twice as powerful as before.

Iran has "reached a significant level of maturity in the field of drones and unmanned systems in general,” Iranian Army Chief Gen. Amir Hatami was cited by state television’s website as saying. He said that more drones will be unveiled in the future.