Key facts
- Iranian flights to the UAE were halted as of midnight Thursday.
- US sanctions took effect Thursday, targeting companies doing business with Iranian airlines.
- Saudi Arabia intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles on Thursday.
- A Greek-operated air defense system intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone on Thursday near Yanbu.
- The Houthis claimed they launched missile and drone attacks on Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Iranian flights to Gulf neighbors, including Dubai, were cancelled Thursday after a US deadline passed for global firms to cease business with Iranian airlines. The US Treasury had set September 23 as the deadline for companies worldwide to comply with an order to stop doing business with Iranian airlines, aiming to ground Iran's entire global civilian fleet. Iran had previously threatened retaliation against any neighboring countries that adhere to the ban. Websites of Iranian airlines Qeshm and Varesh showed UAE flights canceled, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi airport websites showed no arrivals or departures to Iran.
A sustained flight ban could further isolate Iran and exacerbate its economic crisis. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced it had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi fighters. The Houthis claimed they had launched missile and drone attacks on what they described as "a sensitive target" in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea city of Yanbu. There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of an attack on Riyadh or of damage or casualties in either Taif or Yanbu. A Saudi-led coalition stated that "any escalation and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly."