Iran announced Saturday that Qatar is holding three of its pilots who have been missing since March, a claim for which there was no immediate response from Doha. The announcement came as Iran-backed Houthi rebels again struck a Red Sea port in Yemen and the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Missing Persons Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, Qatar's armed forces captured the pilots after their jets were downed. Tehran had previously stated it had no information regarding their fate. The statement further alleged that Qatar violated the pilots' rights by denying them contact with their families and Iranian officials handling their cases, despite diplomatic efforts.
The UAE's state-run WAM news agency reported that a tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked Friday evening in the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported in the incident, which was the third such attack on an ADNOC-operated vessel in the critical waterway in the past week. The UAE called on Iran to cease the "unprovoked strikes."
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center also reported that a bulk carrier was struck in the hull by an unknown projectile on Friday, though it was not immediately clear if it was the same vessel.
In southern Lebanon, at least nine people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, marking some of the deadliest strikes since a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on June 20. Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency reported that one strike hit a home on the outskirts of Ansar, killing seven people, including three children, and wounding two. A second strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed two people and wounded nine.
Israel's military stated it killed a Hezbollah battalion commander and several militants at a headquarters in southern Lebanon in retaliation for the group's actions against Israeli soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office separately reported that three Israeli soldiers sustained serious injuries. The military asserted that the commander's family was present during the strike but was not the target, alleging the commander used them as human shields.
The Houthis attacked the port of Mokha in Yemen, a facility controlled by the internationally recognized government, according to Yemen's military. Port director Abdul-Malik al-Sharabi told journalists that the Friday evening attack resulted in three deaths, including two marines. Military spokesperson Col. Majed al-Nazili stated that the Houthis launched six ballistic missiles.
Analysts suggest this escalation by the Houthis, which includes attacks on government-held areas and neighboring Saudi Arabia, reflects Iran's efforts to increase pressure on the United States and its regional allies. Talks between the U.S. and Iran have been stalled, while Iran is engaged in discussions with Oman regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that separates the two nations.