Asia

Houthis claimed a fresh missile-and-drone wave on Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait airbase as Gulf–Iran Hormuz talks were postponed; CENTCOM disputed an IRGC account of how the El Gaia tanker was damaged; and Kyiv conditioned any pause in strikes on Russia on a partner-backed halt to attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Ten stories as of Tuesday evening, September 15.

1. Riyadh / Khamis Mushait. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said Monday they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, targeting hangars, radar, runways, and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes, Reuters reported. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts there and in other southern cities; the Saudi-led coalition said 13 civilians were wounded. The East-West pipeline that bypasses Hormuz remained offline after Thursday’s attack. Oman postponed Monday’s Gulf–Iran meeting on reopening the Strait of Hormuz; Iran said the delay was at Saudi Arabia’s request. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. Central Command’s Adm. Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday, Saudi state media said.

2. Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia struck sea mines south of the strait. U.S. Central Command called that false, saying the ship was hit by an Iranian missile last month and left inoperable; Al Jazeera’s live coverage added that CENTCOM said an Iranian drone struck it again while it sat off Oman this weekend. The UN’s International Maritime Organization said the vessel was damaged Saturday and that two seafarers were missing, without stating a cause. The IRGC separately repeated that it considers the strait closed under its control.

3. Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russian territory if partners can secure a genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine’s electricity system, other energy sites, critical infrastructure, and food-supply routes, the Associated Press and Reuters reported. The statement followed President Trump’s claim that both sides had already agreed not to hit energy targets. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is not convinced Moscow will stick to any deal and that he expects specifics from partners.

4. Brussels. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that Russian drone strikes close to NATO territory show President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation,” and that Russia is “growing increasingly reckless” in its war against Ukraine, speaking at alliance headquarters after the weekend attack near Poland’s border. A Russian drone had struck a Kyiv–Warsaw passenger train’s locomotive about two kilometers from the Polish border at Yahodyn on Sunday; no passengers were reported injured. Rutte said Putin aims to sow fear and weaken Western support — “He is wrong” — and framed the response as more aid to Ukraine while Allies protect Allied territory. See Kyiv Independent and ABC.

5. Houston. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Monday, on the sidelines of G20 energy ministers’ meetings in Houston, that the agency had finalized repeal of the Biden-era 2024 carbon standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants and proposed scrubbing remaining greenhouse-gas rules for the power sector, Reuters and the EPA reported. The administration cast the move as clearing the way for new generation to meet rising electricity demand; Energy Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit said President Trump had “ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.” Environmental groups warned of higher pollution and climate harm.

6. Aleppo / Damascus. A weekend diesel price hike of 40% — to 175 Syrian pounds a litre — plus smaller increases in gasoline and cooking gas triggered the widest protests across Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Reuters reported from Aleppo. Demonstrators burned tires, blocked the Damascus–Aleppo highway and other roads, and stopped crude tankers headed for refineries. The Energy Ministry called the increases temporary and blamed higher import costs and the long maintenance shutdown at the Baniyas refinery. The UNDP estimates about 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line.

7. Java Sea. Indonesian rescuers were still searching Monday for 129 people missing after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized Sunday en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin with 243 aboard, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Authorities said 108 people were rescued and at least six died. Rough seas kept divers from underwater work; more than 600 personnel and about a dozen ships were in the search. Transport officials said the vessel’s capacity was 500 and that it was not overloaded; the cause remains under investigation.

8. Lagos. Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote on Monday opened Africa’s largest share sale yet — the IPO of his Lagos-area oil refinery — aiming to raise 2.15 trillion naira (about $1.6 billion) if fully subscribed, or roughly $2.1 billion with a greenshoe, Reuters reported. Marketed as a “people’s IPO” of roughly a 3% stake, the offer lets investors buy as few as 10 shares. The plant processes about 700,000 barrels a day and has exported jet fuel to western Europe amid Iran-war supply disruptions. Dangote said a U.S. secondary listing could follow in three to four years.

9. Bogotá. Colombia’s Congress on Monday approved a 2027 spending budget of 634.9 trillion pesos (about $206.6 billion), projecting a record fiscal deficit of 9.4% of GDP to be financed largely with more public debt, Reuters reported. The new government of President Abelardo De La Espriella folded in extra needs, including costs tied to August’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Finance Minister Miguel Gomez said it was not the budget they wanted but what the economy can afford; officials plan a “Rescue Law” package aimed at cutting the deficit toward 7.2% of GDP.

10. Wellington. A The Post/Freshwater Strategy poll published Tuesday showed both of New Zealand’s major parties under 30% with the election less than two months away — Labour at 28% and National at 27% — leaving seat math that points to a possible hung parliament, RNZ reported. The Greens, New Zealand First, and ACT all rose; Opportunity cleared the 5% threshold at 6%. Chris Hipkins led Christopher Luxon 45%–35% as preferred prime minister; 56% of respondents said the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Coming up. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, Washington, with the Summary of Economic Projections (rate decision Wednesday). Sunday 20 September — Russia State Duma election. Tuesday 22–Saturday 26 and Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week, New York. October 4 — Brazil general election (first round). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; EPA; NATO; Kyiv Independent; ABC (Australia); RNZ; The Post (NZ).