Iranian flights cancelled as new US 'D-Day' sanctions take effect, Saudis say they shoot down Houthi missiles
USO•Iranian flights to Gulf neighbours appeared cancelled after a US deadline passed for firms to stop doing business with Iranian airlines. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles.
1. Iran flights disrupted
Iranian flights to Gulf neighbours, including the United Arab Emirates, appeared cancelled on Thursday after a September 23 US deadline for firms worldwide to stop doing business with Iranian airlines. Iran’s ISNA news agency said flights to the UAE had been halted, and airport websites in Dubai and Abu Dhabi showed no arrivals or departures to Iran. A sustained ban could deepen Iran’s isolation and worsen its economic crisis.
2. Missiles intercepted in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles on Thursday, after issuing emergency alerts for areas including Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu. The Houthis have repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia this month as fighting in Yemen escalates; the United Nations said more than 700 people have been killed in the latest fighting.
