Saudi authorities said 12 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday (AP, Reuters, Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, Mirror, FinancialJuice, New York Times). Operations were halted and airlines cancelled flights. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis, called it a war crime and said it intercepted a ballistic missile at al-Kharj. Rubio said an American was among the dead, Guterres condemned the attack, and Trump said he would take action. Separately, a tanker was reported hit in the Strait of Hormuz (FinancialJuice, citing UKMTO and Iran's Revolutionary Guards) and CENTCOM said a cargo ship was disabled in the Gulf of Oman.
Riyadh is the capital of the world's largest oil exporter. An attack on a major civilian airport raises the risk of wider conflict in the Gulf and of higher oil prices.
Markets reopen on Monday, and oil is likely to move first. Fuel prices in Ireland follow with a lag, and the extension of the excise cuts to February limits the immediate effect at the pump.
Saudi Arabia and its allies call it a war crime and want a strong response against the Houthis and their backers.
Iran-aligned forces frame their attacks as retaliation for the war, and diplomats fear escalation will close the gap for talks.
Watch Brent on Monday against US00 and any US response. The death toll and the attribution come from Saudi authorities, and independent confirmation is still limited.
AP, Reuters, The Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, Mirror, FinancialJuice, New York Times (10-11 Oct 2026)
World · Middle EastPress ✓ 8 outlets · casualty figures per Saudi authorities
Houthi missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12 and wounds more than 300, Saudi authorities say
Flights were cancelled and operations halted. Washington says an American was among the dead, and oil markets will react when they reopen on Monday.
Saudi authorities said 12 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in Saturday's missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, according to AP, Reuters, the Guardian, the BBC, the Financial Times, the Mirror, FinancialJuice and the New York Times. Operations were halted and airlines cancelled flights. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis, called the attack a war crime and said it had intercepted a ballistic missile at al-Kharj.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an American was among the dead. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, and President Donald Trump called it "a terrible thing" and said he would take action. FinancialJuice, citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre and Iran's Revolutionary Guards, reported a tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said a cargo ship that had left an Iranian port was disabled in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored warnings. WTI last closed at US$91.85 on Friday, and Irish and European markets are shut until Monday.
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By the numbers
12killed, per Saudi authorities (AP, Reuters, Guardian)
300+wounded, per Saudi authorities
US$91.85WTI close on Friday, before the attack
The Irish Times reported that the Dáil sitting planned for Wednesday 14 October was cancelled because of the national public sector strike. The Irish Examiner reported that Sinn Féin and Labour said they would not attend and would not cross a picket line, that Government chief whip Mary Butler had been adamant that the Dáil should sit, and that the Business Committee ended without agreement on Thursday. The derogation for Leinster House staff was not extended to the strike. Micheál Martin said there should be a derogation for the Dáil.
A parliament closed by a strike is unusual. It shows how far the pay dispute has spread and puts pressure on the Government to find a way to talk.
No direct effect on you, but if you rely on a school, hospital or council on Wednesday, check for notices. The second strike is on 21 October.
The Government says parliamentary democracy should not be set aside and that talks are possible without preconditions.
Unions and opposition parties say they will not cross picket lines and that the Government must make an offer on pay.
Cancelling the sitting removes one argument but not the dispute. The test is whether the two sides agree an agenda for talks before the 14th.
Irish Times (10 Oct 2026), Irish Examiner (Oct 2026)
Politics · DáilPress ✓ 2 outlets · positions attributed to those named
Dáil sitting on Wednesday cancelled because of the public sector strike
The Dáil sitting planned for Wednesday 14 October has been cancelled because of the national public sector strike, according to the Irish Times. The Irish Examiner reported earlier that opposition parties said they would not attend: Sinn Féin's Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said it would be unfair to ask party staff to cross a picket line, and Labour's Duncan Smith urged the Government chief whip, Mary Butler, to reconsider. She had been "adamant" that the Dáil should sit.
The Business Committee ended without agreement on Thursday. The Irish Examiner reported that the derogation unions gave Leinster House staff during the work-to-rule period was not extended to the strike, so a picket was expected. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there should be a derogation for the Dáil and that he did not believe the basis for industrial action existed. The Dáil clerk's idea that senior civil servants staff the chamber was described as a "red rag to a bull".
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