TRIPOLI: Eight recruits were killed and several others wounded in an accidental blast at a training center for security forces in western Libya, an official told AFP on Monday. The explosion went off during a live-fire exercise late on Sunday in Zawiya, said the official from the city’s security directorate. “The accidental explosion last night killed eight recruits and wounded others at a security training center,” the official said. The recruits had joined a security force attached to the
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned Monday it will take firm measures, including sanctions, against any vessel sailing through the Strait of Hormuz with its identification systems deliberately switched off, after an oil tanker struck a naval mine and caught fire.
The naval force reported that the tanker sustained a powerful explosion and fire in its engine room, according to a communiqué released October 19. The blast occurred in the southern sector of the strait as the ship tried to leave the area while keeping its positioning and navigation equipment turned off from the very start of its journey.
Iranian authorities said the vessel was attempting to cross an unauthorized maritime route without observing the international transit regulations in force along the corridor. The military institution stressed that severe and firm measures will be applied against any ship or supertanker navigating the Strait of Hormuz or the Persian Gulf with electronic identification gear intentionally deactivated.
Ships commonly use automatic identification systems, known as AIS, to broadcast their position, and switching them off is a practice often associated with efforts to avoid detection.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the open sea and ranks among the world’s most critical corridors for energy shipments. Disruptions along this route echo quickly through global oil markets, which explains the attention the mine blast drew from the naval command and from traders tracking the waterway.
BREAKING: Iran announces an oil tanker has hit a naval mine while exiting the Strait of Hormuz through the US-backed southern Omani corridor, with a massive fire in the engine room. pic.twitter.com/kzMnoJr4Q0
The explosion and the fire that followed inflicted serious damage on the tanker. Naval rescue teams remain deployed near the site of the incident to prevent further risks to navigation and to guard against possible spills that could harm the marine ecosystem.
In recent weeks, several other vessels have recorded considerable damage while attempting to cross through passages that are not authorized south of the strategic corridor controlled by Iranian forces. Officials tied the pattern of incidents to deliberate breaches of transit protocols by ships seeking to move without being detected.
The warning issued Monday signals that Tehran intends to enforce those rules with greater severity. The IRGC’s statement made clear that no vessel, whatever its size or flag, will be permitted to traverse the waterway with identification systems switched off.
Closure and Oil Markets
The escalation unfolds against the backdrop of Tehran’s decision to restore the closure of the strait, a measure presented as a response to the sanctions and maritime blockades imposed on Iranian ports by the U.S. government.
The shutdown of this vital artery pushed international prices of crude and refined energy products sharply higher, disrupting supply across Western markets. Washington, confronting the resulting instability in commercial transit, has resorted to continuous releases from its strategic petroleum reserves in an effort to contain global economic volatility. The continuous drawdowns from emergency reserves underscore how heavily the closure weighs on the global supply balance.
Tehran had previously arranged the reopening of the corridor after the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. The Iranian Armed Forces, however, reimposed the restrictive controls after denouncing aggressions and violations of the peace accords, a reversal that left the waterway under tight military supervision once again.
Control over commercial navigation in the Persian Gulf remains a central point of geopolitical confrontation in the region. Iranian authorities reiterated that full compliance with transit regulations is indispensable to guarantee the operational safety of merchant vessels moving through the strategic passage. The naval command said the area remains under close observation.
King Abdullah of Jordan and Iraqi President Nizar Amidi discussed their nations' ties and potential cooperation, particularly on the Basra-Aqaba oil pipeline project. King Abdullah stressed the importance of regional stability, de-escalating tensions, and supporting the security of Arab states while addressing concerns about Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Egypt’s Civil Democratic Movement rejected any involvement of the Egyptian armed forces in a regional war on behalf of any side, insisting that Cairo make its decisions independently of foreign influence.
The movement said Monday that no outside party should dictate Egypt’s position, arguing that the country’s most important role lies in pursuing “wise mediation to establish peace.”
Turning to domestic affairs, the movement called on civilian opposition groups, its own members included, to begin preparing for the presidential election scheduled for 2030. The call follows President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s recent statement that his presidency will end in 2030 and that the matter of constitutional changes to alter that timeline is “completely settled.”
Parliament postpones debate on troop deployment
The statement comes as Egypt’s parliament has yet to take up a proposal to authorize the president to send troops abroad. Lawmakers adjourned an emergency session devoted to discussing support for Saudi Arabia, and deliberations were due to resume on Monday. The debate was postponed again on Monday, this time until October 26.
The session was convened at el-Sisi’s request after he said Cairo would take any action Saudi Arabia asks of it to defend its security and sovereignty.
Yemen’s Sanaa-based Parliament Speaker Yahya Ali al-Ra’i had urged Egypt’s parliament on Saturday not to let the country be drawn into the Saudi escalation, saying such a step would contradict Egypt’s historical role in defending Arab causes.
Yemeni scholars welcome Al-Azhar initiative
Separately, Al-Azhar urged the urgent formation of a mediation committee bringing together respected figures from across the Muslim world. It said the committee should start work immediately to end conflicts and wars in the Arab region, defuse crises, and bridge differences between the parties involved.
The Association of Yemeni Scholars, in turn, reaffirmed its commitment to engaging constructively and in good faith with the invitation extended by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, expressing appreciation for the Islamic values and principles it conveyed.
The association also declared Sanaa’s readiness to host the committee proposed by the Grand Imam, comprising respected and wise figures from across the Arab and Islamic worlds.
ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for closer coordination to safeguard maritime security and global energy supplies amid escalating tensions and attacks on shipping routes across the Middle East. The two leaders discussed regional developments and efforts to contain their impact on international shipping and energy markets during Macron’s official visit to the UAE, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. They reaffi
HOMS: Overnight visitor numbers at tourism accommodation facilities in Homs province rose 40 percent during this summer season compared with last year, driven by increased demand in the western countryside, Syria’s tourism director, Nizar Al-Taweel, said. The province recorded 26,494 overnight visitors, while Krak des Chevaliers received 23,285 visitors. Dining establishments reported near-full occupancy during peak periods, particularly in Wadi Al-Nasara during religious holidays in August. Hom
DAMASCUS: Officials from the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon on Monday discussed cooperation in the return of Syrian refugees, the protection of children and the development of social welfare services, as the countries seek to strengthen ties and expand coordination between their governments. The Syrian minister of social affairs and labor, Hind Kabawat, said during a joint press conference in Damascus with her Lebanese counterpart, Haneen Sayed, that their talks had focused on three main areas
Jibril Rajoub warns that Israeli settler violence could escalate tensions in the West Bank and emphasizes the need for a peaceful response. Discussions involving various Palestinian factions are ongoing in Cairo.
Drone strikes have killed over 100 people in Sudan, mainly affecting Khartoum and regions controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. The deadliest strike occurred in Al-Dibab in the southwest.
ADEN: Yemeni government forces captured new positions in Taiz as they intensified their offensive against the Houthis, carrying out 1,164 strikes and neutralizing an estimated 558 militia fighters over the past 24 hours, a military spokesperson said on Monday. Majed Al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a post on X that government troops had forced Houthi fighters to retreat in Taiz under heavy air and artillery support as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen. The military als
Egypt’s parliament has postponed a debate on military support for Saudi Arabia, requested by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, after emergency sessions ended without a decision.
Saudi Arabia has postponed its annual Future Investment Initiative conference to 2027 after Iran-backed Houthi forces escalated attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis have launched repeated missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory since a deadly airport attack earlier this month.
Houthi forces attacked a government security training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province on Monday, killing at least 53 people and wounding roughly 200, local authorities said. The strike is among the deadliest in weeks of intensifying fighting between the Iran-aligned group and the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.
Israel will resume commercial shipments into Gaza following a halt due to a tax dispute with Hamas, restoring essential goods to the region. This decision came after Hamas stopped demanding a fee from merchants.
UN experts have called on Israel to ensure the safety of Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank amidst escalating settler violence during the annual harvest season.
Israeli authorities recently demolished three homes in the unrecognized Arab villages of Umm Numaila and Abu Quraynat in the Negev, part of a broader campaign against structures built without permits. Facing heavy fines, a family in Abu Quraynat self-demolished their home to avoid costs of about $19,430. About 55,000 Bedouins in the Negev live in unrecognized villages, suffering from a lack of basic services due to their status.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Tehran to engage in diplomatic talks with Iranian leaders amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Lavrov’s visit underlines Moscow’s desire to mediate in regional tensions.
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