Morning update

Live Blog Update| War on Iran 13 October 2026 07:48 BST Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments: The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms said violations by Houthi forces have killed at least five civilians and left more than a dozen others wounded over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency reported a Houthi attack early on Tuesday targeting a hospital in Taiz. The attack left at least one person injured and damaged the medical facility. Etihad Airways said it cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, citing "regional disruption". All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have been suspended until 19 October 19. Qatar Airways also announced "temporarily" suspending flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam. Four air strikes targeting sites in Yemen's Hodeidah and Amran were reported by the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV. Meanwhile, the Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the group's troops shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drone in northern Yemen's Saada. US President Donald Trump criticised Yemen's Houthis for "misbehaving very badly". Regarding Iran, Trump also claimed that the upcoming midterm elections in the country will have "no impact" on his approach to the war. He said that "as soon as the war ends, which will be very soon with Iran, the [price of] oil will drop like a rock. And it’s going to end very soon." The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply cut growth forecasts for the Middle East and Central Asia in 2026 amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Saudi Arabia's GDP is expected to contract by 3.3 percent this year, the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook report, adding that the kingdom was among the least affected in the region.