+++ News in the Middle East war +++: Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia

According to the authorities, minor material damage was caused in an attempted attack on an administrative building of Saudi Arabia's state oil company Saudi Aramco. A representative of the Saudi Energy Ministry said that falling debris damaged the building in the capital Riyadh. No one was harmed in the incident. (rtr) |

The Iran-backed Houthi militia attacked a prominent skyscraper in the center of the Saudi capital Riyadh. The administration building of the state oil company Aramco was hit, the Saudi Energy Ministry said. Debris fell on the building and caused “limited damage,” it said. There were no deaths or injuries.

A video circulated on the Internet that appears to show severe damage to the Aramco Tower in the center of Riyadh. Accordingly, the glass facade over several floors was destroyed in an attack. The 34-story building is owned by Aramco and is located in Riyadh's central business district. The city's most famous skyscrapers are located there. (dpa)

The US military has again attacked a ship in the Gulf of Oman and rendered it unable to maneuver. The US Central Command responsible for the region announced that the bulk carrier “M/V Huda” was “disabled” by an airstrike. The crew ignored repeated warnings and tried several times to violate the US naval blockade of Iran. The ship headed for an Iranian port and then tried to leave the region.

Central Command released a short video of the attack. A bullet hits the stern of a freighter, causing an explosion. The Emirati Coast Guard said 22 people had been rescued after a fire in the Gulf of Oman. (dpa)

Three men who were sentenced to death for their involvement in anti-government protests in January have been executed in Iran. The death sentences against Hassan Diwband, Hamid Kasemi and Resa Sanganeh were carried out by hanging on Sunday after confirmation by the Supreme Court, the Iranian judiciary said on its website Misan Online.

The three men were reportedly found guilty of taking part in “operational activities” on behalf of Israel and the USA as well as “enemy groups” during the protests. They threw incendiary devices and grenades, used stabbing weapons and firearms and set fire to public facilities in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran.

At the end of December, protests over the poor economic situation in Iran expanded into mass protests against the leadership in Tehran, which reached their climax on January 8th and 9th. Tehran said afterwards that there had been more than 3,000 deaths and attributed the violence to "acts of terrorism" controlled by the US and Israel. Human rights organizations abroad, on the other hand, spoke of a state crackdown on the protests that resulted in thousands of deaths.

Since the beginning of the Iran War, which began at the end of February with attacks by the USA and Israel, the number of executions has continued to increase, also in connection with the protests. (dpa) |

Military clashes ‌between Saudi Arabia and ‌the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen continue. On Sunday, several projectiles fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh were intercepted and destroyed. This was announced by the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. Loud explosions were heard in the capital of Saudi Arabia, a witness reported to the Reuters news agency. The civil defense had therefore issued a warning shortly beforehand. According to reports, a region in the south of Saudi Arabia was also the target of attacks. Since July, the Houthis have increasingly attacked airports, ports and oil facilities. Saudi Arabia responds with air strikes on rebel targets in Yemen.

On Saturday, at least 33 people were killed in such an attack near the capital Sanaa, according to the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health. Authorities in Riyadh said they were investigating the incident. The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which has escalated in recent months, goes back a long way: in 2015, the alliance of Arab states led by Riyadh intervened in the Yemen conflict to support the internationally recognized government. The Houthis had previously taken the Yemeni capital Sanaa. A ceasefire was agreed in 2022 under the mediation of the United Nations. (rtr)

According to Iranian sources, two oil tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. The two ships tried to cross the strait on unauthorized routes, the state news agency Irna quoted the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as saying on Sunday. Information about the tankers was not provided. Iran has repeatedly said in recent weeks that ships had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the start of the Iran war at the end of February, Tehran has largely blocked the strait, which is important for global trade in oil and gas. Around a fifth of the world's oil consumption is normally transported through the waterway, which is important for global oil trade. Iran regularly attacks ships there that it accuses of passing through without its authorization. (afp)

The United Arab Emirates National Guard has rescued 22 people after a fire on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. The National Guard said all of those rescued were Arab nationals. (rtr)