An Indian national was killed in an attack on merchant vessel MV Cape Dao while it was transiting towards India, the Indian Embassy in Oman said on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).

The Embassy said it was closely monitoring the attack and was in coordination with Omani authorities regarding the safety of all crew members on board, including 19 Indian nationals.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one Indian national in this attack. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” the Indian mission said in a post on X.

It is not yet clear who attacked the vessel.

The Embassy said it was coordinating with the RPSL and was in touch with the family of the deceased.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Britain has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia to repeal attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Mr. Burnham on Monday (September 22, 2026) told reporters as he flew to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he had agreed the Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refuelling of Saudi planes.

The agreement is for a matter of weeks, but Mr. Burnham said it will be kept under review.

The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has reignited, with Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday (September 19, 2026) before being intercepted.

The Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter.

The Houthis advanced inside Yemen earlier this month, seizing the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands allowing them to better monitor shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, through which some 12% of world trade normally passes.

Mr. Burnham said he was “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways [for oil] open”.

Britain has condemned the Houthi attacks and said the U.K. will “work with partners to support regional stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian access”.

U.K. officials had previously declined to comment on “operational matters” but noted that Britain and Saudi Arabia have a close defence partnership.

The U.S., which bombed the Houthis under the Biden and Trump administrations, has shown no interest in getting involved military this time around.

U.K. officials say the agreement will start in the coming days, and involve one RAF Voyager refuelling Saudi planes on “defensive” missions.

The Associated Press reported last week that Saudi Arabia has asked its allies, including France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defence support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups on the kingdom. (AP)

The United States has issued a fresh travel warning for Iran, urging American citizens not to travel to the country “for any reason” and asking those already there to leave immediately amid rising tensions and the possibility of further escalation across West Asia.

The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran, in a security alert, said the regional security environment remained complex and warned of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.

“Do not travel to Iran for any reason. U.S. citizens should leave Iran now,” the alert said.

The U.S. Mission urged Americans currently in the region to exercise heightened vigilance and closely monitor developments affecting airports, airlines and border crossings.

It also warned that procedures at Iran’s land borders could change with little notice and advised travellers to check the entry requirements of countries they may seek to enter.

The alert comes amid an escalating confrontation involving the United States and Iran, with Washington maintaining military and maritime pressure on Tehran and Iranian officials warning of retaliation against U.S. interests in the region.

The U.S. also cited the activities of Iranian-supported Houthi forces, which have carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports.

“Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly,” the alert said.

The United States further warned that its diplomatic facilities, including locations outside the West Asia, have previously been targeted and that Iran or groups supportive of Tehran could target U.S. interests, businesses and institutions overseas.

American citizens were advised to enrol in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and facilitate contact with US diplomatic authorities during emergencies.

The alert also advised citizens to avoid demonstrations, large gatherings and areas with heavy police presence, while maintaining a low profile at locations publicly associated with the United States.

In case of an aerial attack, Americans were instructed to stay away from windows and glass doors, avoid fallen debris and monitor official communications.

The latest warning follows a separate U.S. security alert for Americans and U.S. government personnel in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia recently required government employees to obtain special authorisation for official and personal travel to Taif and Yanbu amid heightened security concerns following Houthi attacks.

Saudi authorities had issued an emergency warning over a “hostile aerial threat” after a ballistic missile was launched towards Riyadh. Saudi-led coalition forces said the missile was intercepted and also reported attempted attacks targeting civilian populations and infrastructure in Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.

Qatar has condemned the Houthi attacks and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, describing the strikes as a violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and international law.

The U.S. State Department has separately urged Americans travelling to or through West Asia to remain vigilant as regional tensions raise the risk of sudden flight disruptions, airspace closures and attacks targeting U.S. interests.

Commodity vessel transits through ​the Strait of Hormuz dwindled to ‌just three ships on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), down ​from 12 a day ⁠earlier and well below the 10-day average of about 17, preliminary ship-tracking data showed ‌on Thursday (September 17, 2026).

The figures exclude any vessels that might have passed through ‌the waterway with their ‌Automatic ⁠Identification System (AIS) transponders turned off to ⁠avoid detection.

Of the three vessels, an empty Supramax dry bulk ship entered the Strait ​via the Iranian ‌route, while an empty petroleum product tanker entered through a dark route, shipping data from Kpler showed ‌at 0445 GMT.

A Panamax tanker ​exited the waterway using a dark route, the data showed.

Vessel ⁠traffic dropped this week as war in the Gulf intensified. Saudi Arabian ‌warplanes pounded Yemen and Houthi fighters launched drones and missiles at Saudi cities.

The Iran-backed Houthis’ rapid advance in Yemen along the Red Sea coast, attacks on Saudi Arabia ‌and damage to the kingdom’s East-West oil ​pipeline have widened Tehran’s reach in the conflict and raised ⁠risks to global oil supplies.

In the ⁠Red Sea, vessel crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait eased to ‌21 on Wednesday (September 16), compared to 24 vessels a day earlier.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Friday (September 11, 2026) on soaring crude oil prices amid escalating tensions in West Asia.

Weak trends in global markets and foreign fund outflows also dented investors’ sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 628.24 points to 74,257.69 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 221.20 points to 23,255.10.

Among the 30 Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance, InterGlobe Aviation, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement and Axis Bank were the major laggards.

Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Infosys, Bharti Airtel and ITC were the gainers.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.95 per cent higher at $108.7 per barrel.

“Brent crude has climbed to its highest level since May as the ongoing US-Iran conflict continues to disrupt oil flows from the Middle East. For India, crude near $110 a barrel would further intensify pressure on inflation, the rupee, the current account and corporate margins, while reducing the scope for monetary easing,” Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, Founder & CEO of HST Wealth, a Research Analyst firm, said.

Global markets are trading lower as elevated oil prices intensify concerns over inflation and the interest-rate outlook, he added.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index traded significantly lower.

U.S. markets ended in negative territory on Thursday (September 10, 2026).

“WTI crude is trading in the $103–104-per-barrel range after rising around 7.5% in the previous session, while Brent has moved toward the $108 mark amid escalating tensions involving Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia. The sharp increase in crude prices is likely to heighten concerns over India’s import bill, inflation and corporate margins, keeping risk appetite subdued,” Ponmudi R., CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹438.24 crore on Thursday (September 10, 2026), according to exchange data.

On Thursday (September 10, 2026), the Sensex advanced 138.36 points, or 0.19%, to settle at 74,902.59 on last minute buying. The Nifty edged higher by 46.30 points, or 0.20%, to end at 23,477.80.

India on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) condemned the latest wave of attacks carried out by Houthi militants on oil installations in Saudi Arabia, and said the strikes undermined regional security.

The Iran-backed Houthi militant group targeted Saudi oil facilities and some other civilian infrastructure on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), triggering widespread apprehensions about further escalation in the West Asia conflict.

West Asia conflict updates on September 9, 2026

India condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He added that such attacks that undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb were “unacceptable”.

Mr. Jaiswal was responding to a media query.

The attacks on Saudi oil facilities came amid the US ramping up its economic sanctions against Iran.

The Houthis have been majorly operating from Yemen.

Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty drifted lower in early trade on Monday (September 7, 2026) as elevated crude oil prices, escalation in U.S.-Iran hostilities and concerns over a possible U.S. interest rate hike weighed on investors’ sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 172.77 points to 76,342.66 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 63.30 points to 23,832.60.

Among the 30 Sensex firms, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, and UltraTech Cement were among the major laggards.

Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Bharat Electronics, and Larsen & Toubro were among the winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 0.78% higher at $97 per barrel.

“Friday’s U.S. jobs report came in far stronger than expected, reviving concerns over a possible interest-rate hike, while fresh attacks in the U.S.-Iran conflict are keeping oil prices at elevated levels, posing a key overhang for domestic investor sentiment,” Hariselvan Radhakrishnan, Founder & CEO of HST Wealth, a research analyst firm, said.

The next major catalyst comes on Friday (September 4) with the release of U.S. inflation data, which is expected to influence Federal Reserve rate expectations and, consequently, global risk sentiment, he added.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.36%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.83%. Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was trading lower.

U.S. markets ended in negative territory on Friday (September 4).

“Crude oil remains the dominant macro driver. WTI continues to trade at elevated levels around $91–92 per barrel as the latest escalation in U.S.-Iran hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz keeps concerns over potential supply disruptions firmly in focus,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹3,111.94 crore on Friday (September 4), according to exchange data.

On Friday (September 4), the Sensex climbed 362.57 points, or 0.48%, to settle at 76,515.43. The Nifty, however, saw a modest rise of 24.25 points, or 0.10%, to end at 23,897.70.

Iran said Sunday (September 6, 2026) it struck an unmanned U.S. vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that the U.S. military dismissed as a “total lie.” The purported attack came a day after the U.S. military said forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Navy warships being targeted with ballistic missiles. Experts called it a dangerous escalation after Iran’s previous attacks at sea targeted commercial shipping.

The war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. But since a fragile ceasefire agreement was announced in June, on-and-off fighting has persisted, with both sides trying to inflict military and economic pain as negotiations have collapsed.

West Asia conflict LIVE 

Strikes came about a week after fighting resumed

The United States and Iran resumed attacks last week, following a month of relative calm, with the Strait of Hormuz and areas along Iran’s southern coast again being targeted. At least five people were killed earlier in the week during a U.S. bombardment that returned attention to the area where a school was hit in the war’s opening strikes.

The Trump administration appears to have adopted a dual-pronged approach to the conflict, responding militarily to attacks on the strait while going after foreign financial institutions that handle Iran’s money.

But Tehran’s hard-line new senior leaders have signalled a willingness to dig in after weathering decades of sanctions. Iran has found ways over the years to circumvent sanctions and now a U.S. blockade of its ports, and to get its oil to buyers to help ease growing economic pressures. That relies in part on a shadow fleet transporting its oil.

U.S. says million barrels of oil a day pass through the strait

Tehran’s new leverage focuses on the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial to global oil and natural gas shipments. It was seen as an international waterway before the war began.

On Sunday (September 6, 2026), U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that on average, 9 million barrels of oil a day are getting through the strait, which should help to relieve pressure on energy prices.

Mr. Wright told CNN that with oil also flowing through pipelines in the region, “we’re probably two-thirds or more of pre-conflict flows.” But those flows depend on the presence of the U.S. Navy to help escort tankers and provide some protection against possible Iranian attack. Mr. Wright said he expected that other countries would eventually support the Navy’s efforts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program, the issue that contributed to the outbreak of the war, was meant to be addressed in negotiations that fell apart soon after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.

Diplomats say the U.S., Britain, France and Germany now seek to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failure to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations.