Houthis reached Perim and Dhubab at Bab el-Mandeb; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was hit by drones from Iraq and shut as a precaution; and Brent settled near $105 with U.S. crude closing just above $100. Ten stories as of Friday evening, September 11.
1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim (Mayun) in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, and two Yemeni government sources told Reuters forces also pulled out of the facing coastal town of Dhubab a day after Mocha fell. Witnesses and local officials described Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab area; Houthi confirmation was not immediate. Government forces said they would try to retake captured Red Sea ground, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera reported.
2. Riyadh / Medina. Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq struck its East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage, and the Energy Ministry temporarily shut the line as a precaution, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Riyadh said it would hold off on retaliation for now at Iraq’s request while reserving the right to act; Baghdad condemned the attack and opened an investigation. The 1,200-kilometer line has been moving about 4–5 million barrels a day as a Hormuz workaround.
3. London / New York. Brent settled at $104.61 and U.S. crude at $100.05 on Friday, down on the day but on track for a weekly gain of more than 8% and a weekly finish above $100 for the first time since mid-May, Reuters reported. U.S. diesel cleared $6 a gallon for the first time (GasBuddy). The IEA said Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million bpd in August, the lowest in more than three decades.
4. Washington. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump at least twice on Thursday seeking U.S. military help against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters; Washington said it would not take direct military action for now but would help with intelligence and targeting. In a September 11 anniversary speech, Trump again called Iran the world’s top sponsor of terror.
5. Kyiv / Saratov. Russia attacked two Kyiv petrol stations with jet-powered drones early Friday, killing two people; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said twelve others including a child were injured, and President Zelenskiy said the jet-powered Shahed campaign was becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature,” Reuters reported. Ukraine’s General Staff later said it struck Rosneft’s Saratov oil refinery in the Volga region, with fires detected at the site.
6. Stockholm. Sweden’s centre-left opposition held a narrow lead two days before Sunday’s election, three Friday polls showed, with combined support of about 49.3–50.8% versus about 47.6–49.0% for the ruling right and Sweden Democrats, Reuters reported. Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson remains favorite to return as prime minister, but one survey showed a margin of a single seat and the Liberals clearing the 4% threshold kept the race tight.
7. New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit Saturday–Sunday, discussing trade toward a $100 billion target by 2030, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, and conflicts affecting Indian seafarers, Indian reporting and Reuters said. Putin said BRICS was “not against anyone”; Xi Jinping’s first India trip in seven years and Iranian President Pezeshkian’s attendance keep the Hormuz fight inside the room.
8. Brasília. Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered thousands of Banco Master fraud-probe pages unsealed; records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading runoff rival — is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to banker Daniel Vorcaro’s film financing, Reuters reported. A full-court session is set for Tuesday on the Moraes–Mendonça clash; Lula backed full disclosure.
9. Kampala / Tooro. Uganda’s government is mediating last-ditch talks so King Oyo Nyimba can be buried Saturday after a succession fight: a royal-clan committee named cousin Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while the late king’s sister says his will points to a biological son, Reuters reported. A new king is required to perform burial rituals.
10. Sydney. A controller shortage cancelled about 14 inbound flights and caused hour-plus delays at Sydney Airport Friday morning, Airservices Australia told a Senate committee, Reuters reported. Eight of 49 Sydney controllers are on long-term absence; flow measures lifted at 8:15 a.m. local after unplanned absenteeism. The ATSB is probing a recent string of near-misses.
Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15 September — Brazil Supreme Court full session. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.
Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; AFP.
