Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Tuesday again blamed Saudi Arabia for airstrikes overnight that targeted areas along Yemen's northern border with the kingdom and its western coastline. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to the claim, but the strikes came hours after air raid sirens blared in the Saudi capital and explosions were heard.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday. Read our full coverage here.
The rebel-run al-Masirah satellite television said Tuesday two airstrikes hit the Houthi-held Red Sea island of Kamaran, while a third hit Qanawis district, 55 kilometers (34 miles) northwest of the port city of Hodeida.
The station also reported airstrikes in the province of Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia.
Al-Masirah blamed Saudi Arabia for the strikes, but didn’t provide further details.
The rebels also said they shot down a Saudi drone over the Houthi stronghold province of Saada, which is in northern Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
The strikes came hours after Saudi Arabia sounded air raid sirens Monday evening in the capital, Riyadh, and residents heard explosions.
The Houthis also said they fired a ballistic missile toward King Khalid International Airport, which has been hammered by a string of deadly attacks in recent days.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Abdelatty said during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that there was “no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted.”
Abdelatty also urged prioritizing diplomacy and finding a political solution to the conflict between Iran and the U.S. to avert “further escalation and instability” in the region, according to the Egyptian readout of the call.
Qatar’s emir on Tuesday called for closer security coordination among Gulf countries as the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia escalates, following months of Iranian attacks across the region during its war with the U.S. and Israel.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also called for stepped-up efforts to secure maritime routes in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and energy infrastructure, which have been a main target of attacks since the Iran-U.S. war began on Feb. 28.
Speaking to the Shura Council, the Qatari emir also lashed out at Israel, accusing it of committing crimes in Gaza that constitute “genocide,” a charge Israel vehemently denies.
The emir called for holding Israeli officials accountable.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
A displaced Yemeni child sits under a tree as families gather to receive aid at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
A displaced Yemeni woman sits beside mattresses distributed at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
Displaced Yemeni children sit in a vehicle as families gather to receive aid at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members from one ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, with five receiving treatment for minor injuries, Radev said in a video posted to social media.
The crew, which included seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijan citizens, reported the ship’s deck and hull were hit by three aerial drones.
One crew member from the sunken vessel was rescued, Radev added, without providing details about the others aboard. The strikes on the two ships occurred 20 miles and 21 miles (32 and 34 kilometers) from the Bulgarian coast.
During an emergency meeting of Bulgaria’s Security Council on Tuesday, Radev called the attacks “absolutely unacceptable” and said Bulgaria was seeking NATO and European Union assistance.
While authorities do not possess clear evidence on who was responsible for the drone attacks, “logic, as I have already stated, indicates that the result is in favor of the Russian Federation,” Radev said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in a post on X on Tuesday blamed Russia for the attacks.
“Russia’s latest attack on commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, which injured Ukrainian and Azerbaijani citizens, once again demonstrates Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea,” Sybiha wrote.
He said that Ukraine is urging its partners to step up pressure on Russia, strengthen sanctions and take decisive action to hold it accountable and protect freedom of navigation.
“The Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security. Russia is attacking it to weaponize hunger and hold the world hostage. This must be met with strength,” Sybiha wrote.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “strongly condemned” the drone incidents and said the Black Sea “has become another front of escalation” in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“This is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the drone attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s coast. Putting the lives of the crew in grave danger and threatening security in the Black Sea,” she said in a post on X.
“We stand with Bulgaria and thank its rescuers for their swift response. Those responsible should be held accountable.”
The attacks came exactly a week after sea and aerial drones attacked two other commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. A Togo-flagged ship sank, while a Bulgarian ferry evacuated the 18-member crew of a Pulau-flagged vessel.
Ukraine’s military did not conduct any operations near the locations of last week’s drone strikes, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who pointed the finger at Russia.
A day earlier, a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania. Two people died and 11 crew members were rescued, Romanian authorities said.
Russia did not immediately comment on Tuesday’s incident.
Radev said he would summon the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, for a conversation Tuesday.
An earlier version of this story misstated the distance from Bulgaria's coast at which the two ships were struck by drones. It was 20 and 21 miles, or 32 and 34 kilometers.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev speaks during a handover ceremony of the remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
