Rapid Alerts

SAUDI ARABIA — The Joint Forces of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces brought down a drone south of Mecca at 6:50 p.m. Saudi time on September 15 (3:50 p.m. UTC), before the aircraft entered prohibited airspace over the city.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, in a Saudi Press Agency statement dated September 16, attributed the drone to the Houthi group and said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and Umrah visitors was a red line.

MIDDLE EAST — Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense posted all-clear notices for Abha city and Khamis Mushait Governorate at about 4:01 AM UTC on September 14, minutes after the National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies pushed a new potential-danger warning to both locations.

The all-clear told residents to keep following Civil Defense instructions, avoid gathering and filming, and call 998 in an emergency.

YEMEN — Staff Colonel Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaily, official spokesperson for the internationally recognized Yemeni Armed Forces, said on September 13 that the air force was still destroying Houthi equipment, gatherings, and fighters inside a declared kill zone around the Red Sea port of Mokha and the Dhubab district in western Taiz Governorate.

A kill zone, also called a kill box in the Aden command’s Arabic statement, is a pre-marked patch of ground set aside for concentrated fire. Al-Nuzaily said the air force had opened that box on September 11 and asked civilians to stay off the Taiz-Mokha road and the Mokha-Dhubab road until a further notice.

JAZAN, SAUDI ARABIA — The General Directorate of Civil Defense said that on September 12 a projectile launched by Houthi forces struck Al-Tuwal Governorate in the Jazan Region, wounding two people and damaging a mosque plus other buildings and vehicles.

The same evening, the National Early Warning Platform, the Civil Defense cell-broadcast system that pushes emergency text to phones on licensed mobile networks, issued potential-danger warnings for Abha City and Khamis Mushait Governorate in the Asir Region.

EASTERN EUROPE — Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said on September 12 that a drone which had already crossed Ukrainian and Moldovan airspace came down in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare in Suceava County, in northeastern Romania.

The ministry said the Air Operations Centers of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova had first notified Bucharest that the aircraft was moving toward Romania’s northeast.

HORN OF AFRICA — U.S. Africa Command struck al-Shabaab near Quumbi, Somalia, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Kismayo on Sept. 8, according to a Sept. 11 release from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Public Affairs. AFRICOM said the strike was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.

The command withheld units, aircraft, weapons, battle-damage results, and casualty figures, citing operations security.

CARIBBEAN SEA — Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out a lethal kinetic strike on September 9 against a go-fast vessel, a small high-speed boat, on routes the command called established narco-trafficking lanes in the Caribbean.

U.S. Southern Command said confirmed intelligence showed the boat’s active involvement in narco-trafficking, adding that the operation killed three people it called narco-terrorists.

GULF OF OMAN — On September 8, U.S. Central Command said its forces struck five crude oil carriers it identified as belonging to the IRGC after the Guard twice fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. Navy warship over the preceding two days.

The command said the warship evaded both attacks, stayed on patrol, and that no American personnel were harmed in those ship attacks or the tanker strikes that followed.

EASTERN PACIFIC — U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere forces on September 7 interdicted a vessel the command described as a floating refueling station supporting at-sea drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.

The command said its intelligence tied the vessel to Los Choneros, which the U.S. Department of State designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist in September 2025.

MIDDLE EAST — U.S. Central Command said its forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers on Sept. 5 after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships in regional waters.

The command said an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer evaded the incoming fire and that no American personnel were harmed.

MIDDLE EAST — U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that its forces successfully completed a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on September 1.

According to the Command, U.S. forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites.

CENTCOM: “Today at 12 p.m. Et, U.S. forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran. The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed in the region.”

NORFOLK — Naval Station Norfolk, the U.S. Navy installation on Sewell’s Point that Navy Region Mid-Atlantic describes as the largest naval complex in the world, stated on September 1 that it had put in place increased security measures and changed how people enter the base.

The installation said some gates were closed or were running with fewer lanes and told personnel to expect delays and to allow extra time to get on the base. It said it was watching developments with law enforcement and security partners and would change the measures as needed.

Latvian Armed Forces (NBS): “Take action! We inform you that there is a threat in Latvia's airspace. Go indoors, follow the two-wall principle! Follow official announcements. If you notice a low-flying or suspicious object, do not approach it and call 112! We will inform you when the threat has ended. The National Armed Forces of Latvia inform - air threat inLatvian airspace. Seek safe place indoors and follow the two-wall principle. If you see a low-flying and suspicious object, do not approach it and call 112. You will be informed when thethreat has ended.”

Previous Alerts (1 Hour Earlier)

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, the Royal Navy-sponsored office that records incidents for commercial shipping, said on August 31 that a tanker reported being struck by three unknown projectiles 17 nautical miles, about 20 miles (31 kilometers), east of Khasab, Oman, while finishing an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

UKMTO logged the incident as an attack, but the report did not name the tanker, its flag, its owner, or the type of projectile.

INDIAN OCEAN — On August 31 the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) published Advisory 123-26 after a ship’s Captain reported an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Indian Ocean.

The report gave no vessel name, flag, International Maritime Organization number, course, or crew status, and no latitude or longitude for the contact.

MIDDLE EAST — U.S. Central Command has refuted the claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that strikes by the United States were an “act of aggression”, stating that the U.S. took limited, precise action against IRGC mine-laying forces that posed an imminent threat to civilian mariners, commercial shipping and the free flow of global commerce.

U.S. Central Command: “CLAIM: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a recent statement that strikes by U.S. forces to prevent the IRGC from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz were an “act of aggression.” This claim is absolutely FALSE.

LARAK ISLAND, STRAIT OF HORMUZ — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a United States attack struck Larak Island in Hormozgan Province on Sunday night and caused deaths and injuries among fighters and civilians.

The Guard’s public-relations office, speaking through Sepah News, said the attack on the island would be answered and that the attacker would be punished.

EASTERN PACIFIC — U.S. Marines and Sailors launched from the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) boarded, searched, and cleared a vessel in international waters on August 28, then sank it after removing those aboard, U.S. Southern Command said.

The command stated that U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, directed the action. Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) carried it out with the Government of Ecuador, SOUTHCOM said.

EUROPE — After CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on August 25, Washington and Moscow both said in public that NATO territory is not a Russian target.

The White House, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Kremlin, and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) have issued no readout of what was said.

SOUTHERN BORDER — On August 27 U.S. Southern Command reported that Joint Task Force-Southern Border personnel used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) during the late-night hours of August 25 and 26 against three unmanned aircraft the command called hostile and cartel-linked.

The weapon is a directed-energy system. It burns or disables a target with a focused beam rather than a missile.

GULF OF OMAN — The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center issued Warning 120-26 after the master of an oil tanker reported the ship struck by an unknown projectile 9 nautical miles (10 miles, 17 kilometers) northeast of Ash Shishah, Oman.

UKMTO logged the report at 8:25 p.m. UTC on August 24 and classified the event as an attack. The master said the projectile damaged the engine room and left the tanker unable to proceed. UKMTO said the crew was reported safe and that environmental impact was unknown in the initial warning.

EASTERN PACIFIC — On August 23, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out a strike on a low-profile vessel operating along routes SOUTHCOM described as established narco-trafficking routes, according to U.S. Southern Command.

U.S. Southern Command released the details at 5:21 AM UTC on August 24. The strike was carried out under the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

YANBU, SAUDI ARABIA — A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu on August 24, producing a fire on the main deck.

All crew members were accounted for and safe. No environmental impact was reported. Vessels were advised to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity.

INDIA — The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information at 6:18 a.m. UTC on August 22 that communication had been lost with the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, IMO 9145530, and that the vessel sank in the Bay of Bengal.

Commandant Amit Uniyal, an Indian Coast Guard spokesperson, stated the ship carried 24 crew members consisting of 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national, plus a cargo of iron ore.

TOKYO — On August 20, following North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, Deputy Director-General Ariyoshi of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a trilateral phone meeting with Baek Yong-jin, Director-General for Korean Peninsula Policy at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and David Wilezol, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State.

The Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed the call on Friday, August 21. The three officials shared relevant information and discussed future responses.

GULF OF ADEN — Six armed persons boarded the tanker Seamull, also known as SIBU 1, 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, and redirected the vessel toward Somalia.

The tanker broadcasted a distress call on VHF 16 after an unauthorized vessel approached while the ship traveled west in the Gulf of Aden. Authorities are investigating.

WASHINGTON, The National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency released joint Cybersecurity Advisory AA26-231A on August 19, warning of an active cyber threat to Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

The authoring agencies state that threat actors are conducting reconnaissance and capability development against U.S.-based Siemens PLC installations. Actors use Internet scanning services to locate Internet-exposed or poorly protected devices running outdated software.

DOHA — On August 18 the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense stated that its air defense systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the UAE.

Two missiles were launched: one fell outside UAE territorial waters and the other inside, but neither struck land. The UAE Interior Ministry briefly issued a public alert that was later lifted, and Iran has made no immediate official comment on the launches.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued Warning 115-26 on August 18 stating a Company Security Officer said that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz.

The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in a crew casualty. The remaining crew are being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard. No environmental impact has been stated. Authorities are investigating.

MAREEYO, SOMALIA — UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report at 11:36 AM UTC on August 17 from the company security officer of a cargo vessel stating that eight armed unauthorized persons boarded the ship and took control of it 4 nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia.

Authorities are investigating. UKMTO advises vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. No vessel name, flag, crew size, cargo, or current position beyond the reported location has been released by UKMTO.

MIDDLE EAST — Two explosive-laden Hadid-110 drones that the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate stated were launched from across the Iranian border struck the private office of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the Parastin Agency director in the Pirmam district of Erbil province at 12:28 a.m. local time on August 17.

The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate stated the drones targeted the sites and reported no casualties. Barzani described the attacks as a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the region’s security and stability.

GALAȚI COUNTY, ROMANIA — Two Spanish F-18 fighter aircraft assigned to NATO’s enhanced Air Defense mission at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Romanian national airspace from the direction of Moldova in the early hours of August 16.

Romanian Ministry of National Defense surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 04:44 local time approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Galați.

NEWPORT NEWS AND ARABIAN SEA — HII Newport News Shipbuilding completed acceptance sea trials of the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) on August 15, with the ship returning to the yard after testing key systems at sea.

On the same date, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, concluded a 10-day trip to the Middle East that included a visit to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued Warning 113-26 on August 15 after receiving a verified report that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile that hit the hull in the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident occurred at 8:00 PM UTC on August 14. The crew are safe. No damage assessment has been released and environmental impact remains unknown at present.

INDONESIA — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Flores Sea on August 15 at 5:58 a.m. local time (9:58 p.m. UTC on August 14) at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).

The shallow crustal event was centered at 8.310 degrees S, 121.352 degrees E, 42 miles (68 km) north-northwest of Ende on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Honolulu scheduled progressive increases in port heavy weather conditions for commercial ports across Hawaii, Maui, Honolulu, and Kauai counties effective 8:00 a.m. HST on Aug. 14 due to Tropical Storm Lala.

Update 3 of Aug. 14 scheduled Zulu for Hawaii County ports, Yankee for Maui and Honolulu County ports, and X-ray for Kauai County ports.

LATVIA — On the morning of August 14, a NATO fighter jet operating under the Baltic Air Policing mission from a base in Lithuania intercepted and destroyed a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle that entered Latvian airspace over Balvi Municipality.

The Latvian National Armed Forces stated an airspace threat shortly after 4:00 a.m. local time in the municipalities of Augšdaugava, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Balvi, and Alūksne.

Gulf of Oman / Bab el-Mandeb, Two commercial vessels were struck on August 11 in separate incidents confirmed by both the Joint Maritime Information Center and United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

In the Gulf of Oman, the container ship Vela Nova was hit by a missile fired from a helicopter. The vessel was 71 nautical miles from the Pakistani coast when the strike occurred. The master reported damage to the stern and steering compartment.

NORTH AMERICA — On August 8 the National Interagency Fire Center said 97 large fires remained under containment efforts across the United States, with 83 new fires and 9 new large fires recorded in the preceding 24 hours, while British Columbia authorities stated a provincial state of emergency after the Bald Range fire forced the evacuation of the District of Summerland and surrounding areas.

The U.S. total of personnel assigned stood at 30,636, including 661 crews, 1,856 engines and 204 helicopters, according to the National Interagency Fire Center National Fire News of August 8. Twenty-six complex incident management teams and one national incident management organization were committed.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 18 nautical miles (33 km) east of Khasab, Oman, on August 8. The impact caused a fire that was extinguished.

The vessel and crew were reported safe, with no environmental impact. Authorities are investigating. Vessels were advised to transit with caution and report suspicious activity.

GERMANY — On August 6 the Office of the Federal Prosecutor assumed lead of the investigation into the explosive-laden drone recovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport on the night of August 4-5, classifying the incident as a serious attack on Germany’s transport and logistics infrastructure.

The office stated there are sufficient factual indications that an explosion was intended to be caused on the airport grounds by means of a drone equipped with professional explosives and a detonator. The act is capable of impairing the external and internal security of the Federal Republic.

Yemen / Red Sea / Strait of Hormuz, The U.S. Mission to Yemen stated on August 6 that it expresses deepest condolences to the families of the Yemeni soldiers killed that day in Hadhramawt and Marib.

The mission attributed the attacks to the Iran-backed Houthis and described them as another example of their terrorism against the Yemeni people. It wished the wounded a speedy recovery.

MIDDLE EAST — On August 3 at 10:00 PM UTC, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Al Khasab, Oman, in which a cargo vessel broadcast on VHF Channel 16 that it had been hit by an unknown projectile. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

The position lies in the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. Al Khasab coordinates are approximately 26.18 N, 56.25 E.

SOMALIA — U.S. Africa Command announced on August 3 that it conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab on July 30 in the vicinity of Jamaame, approximately 36 miles (58 km) northeast of Kismayo, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.

AFRICOM stated that it, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and U.S. citizens abroad. Specific details about units and assets were withheld for operations security.

HAVANA — As of 10:43 p.m. EST on August 2, Cuba experienced a total power failure due to a collapse of its electrical grid, according to a U.S. Embassy Havana security alert published August 3, as well as a statement by the Cuban Electric Union on the same day.

The embassy stated that Cuban state-run media reported the reason for the collapse and the timeline to restore power as unknown. All U.S. citizens in Cuba or planning to travel to Cuba should be aware and plan accordingly. There are reports of cellphone and internet outages.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — UK Maritime Trade Operations issued Advisory 103-26 on August 2 reporting an incident approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman.

At 8:37 p.m. UTC on August 2 the master (Captain) of a tanker reported hearing an explosion in close proximity of the vessel.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ — The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that negotiations with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages. The Joint Maritime Information Center Update 079, covering March 1 to August 2, listed two confirmed maritime security incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on August 1.

An LNG carrier, name withheld, was struck by an unknown projectile at 11:30 p.m. UTC on July 31 while transiting outbound, 11 nautical miles north-east of Lima, Oman.

CEUTA, SPAIN — The U.S. Department of State on August 1 updated its Travel Advisory for Spain, raising Ceuta to Level 3 - Reconsider Travel due to unrest.

The overall advisory for Spain remains Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution due to terrorism and unrest. No subsequent U.S. Embassy Madrid or State Department revision to that Level 3 rating has been issued.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of State on August 1 advised Americans currently in the Middle East to exercise caution and heightened vigilance and to prepare for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions.

Some airlines in the region have postponed resumption of earlier flight schedules; others have cancelled some routes.

MEXICO — On July 31, the U.S. Mission to Mexico stated that local security forces in the state of Michoacan have been put on alert due to reports of roadblocks and criminal activity in the state which have the potential to escalate.

The Mission reminded U.S. citizens that the State Department’s Travel Advisory for Michoacan remains Level 4 – Do Not Travel.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency issued Public Service Announcement I-073026-PSA on July 30 stating that malicious cyber actors have conducted cyber attacks against Operational Technology devices, specifically Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 series Programmable Logic Controllers, in the Water and Wastewater Sector.

Since July 27, utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, with some of the activity degrading water operations. After remotely accessing internet-facing devices, the actors changed IP addresses and passwords, producing a loss of monitoring and control functionality.

POLAND — An armed Russian Kh-101 cruise missile violated Polish airspace and crashed in a field near Tarnawa-Kolonia, approximately 31 miles (50 km) from Lublin, during a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight into July 30.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the missile was armed and in all probability Russian, with no reason to believe Poland was the target. Two objects violated Polish airspace; one crashed with physical evidence at the site, and the other briefly approached the border.

MIDDLE EAST — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on July 30 again claimed full control of the Strait of Hormuz and said two oil tankers that tried an unauthorized route turned back after a fire broke out on one of them.

The same day Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates condemned continued UAV attacks by Iran-affiliated militias operating from Iraqi territory against Saudi oil facilities in the Eastern Region.