18 October 2026

18 October 2026 in brief

A tug was struck by two unidentified projectiles northeast of the UAE's Khor Fakkan, causing one minor injury, UKMTO said. ^[1] A Yemeni government military axis said eight soldiers were killed in clashes in Lahij and government troops said they killed 12 Houthi fighters near Taiz, figures from the parties that were not independently verified. ^[1] The Saudi-led coalition said a National Guard helicopter crashed near Najran because of a technical malfunction, killing its two officers, while the Houthis said they shot down a Saudi helicopter near Najran, a claim Reuters could not verify. ^[1] GCC foreign ministers said an attack on any member affected all six and backed Saudi Arabia's right to defend itself, and the GCC secretary general urged Russia to press Tehran to stop attacks that The National said had passed 7,000 missiles and drones. ^[1][2] Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, who is under US and UN sanctions, as defence minister by 237 votes to 15, The National reported. ^[1]

Written from the records it cites; every figure appears in a cited record.