The Saudi-led coalition says it has intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia towards Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, amid renewed security threats across the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence separately issued an alert warning of a potential danger in the southern city of Najran, near the Yemeni border.

Authorities later announced that the danger had passed.

The developments come amid heightened security concerns over Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi territory.

The US has ordered nonessential government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia amid mounting security threats.

In a security alert issued on October 28, the US mission said the departure order had taken effect on October 23, citing growing risks to American personnel in the kingdom.

The mission warned that Houthi militia attacks targeting airports and other critical infrastructure had resulted in civilian casualties and major disruptions to travel, raising concerns over a further escalation of hostilities.

Washington has also imposed restrictions on airport use by US government employees, requiring special authorisation for travel through any Saudi airport following recent missile and drone strikes.

US President Donald Trump has denied instructing Vice President JD Vance to initiate peace talks with Iran, contradicting a report that Washington had reached out to Tehran in an attempt to revive negotiations.

“No. Iran needs help with medical supplies. Basically, it’s getting supplies in to help people that are not well,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews when asked whether he had directed Vance to pursue diplomatic talks.

His remarks followed a Wall Street Journal report that Vance had sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, at Trump’s direction.

Citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the communication was intended to reopen a diplomatic channel and revive stalled peace negotiations.

Regional mediators led by Qatar are working to restart negotiations between the US and Iran to prevent a resumption of the war, Axios reported on Wednesday.

The mediators are urging Tehran to allow UN inspectors to visit bombed nuclear sites in return for some US sanctions relief, according to the report, which cited US, Israeli and regional sources.

Rising military expenditure threaten Republican prospects ahead of next week's crucial midterm elections.

US Vice President JD Vance has contacted Iran's security chief in a bid to revive peace talks that could head off a renewed American assault on the country, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the Journal reported, in a move that one of the newspaper's sources said was directed by President Donald Trump.

The letter — as well as subsequent talks between US and Iranian officials — focused on a possible framework for negotiations rather than specifics of a peace proposal, the Journal said.

Iran has warned of a devastating economic impact from any new Israeli-led attack, as the votes were counted in an Israeli election that could determine the future of the regional war.

Tehran also said it was discussing with mediators ways to implement a seven-day plan to end the Middle East conflict and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"Devastating impact on int'l markets of any Israel-instigated military misadventure in Persian Gulf region remains major concern for both gas suppliers and consumers," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X, referring to recent discussions at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in Moscow.

The cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers has grown to $47.1 billion, according to a new estimate the Pentagon has provided to Congress. The fallout from the conflict has become a key issue in the midterm elections and could increase as President Donald Trump leaves open the possibility of renewed hostilities.

The figure from US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, is as of Oct. 16 and offers the most up-to-date cost for the conflict since it was launched in late February by the United States and Israel. The latest price tag, obtained by The Associated Press this week, shows a $3.5 billion bump in US spending since early September, when that figure stood at about $43.6 billion.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk has called sanctions imposed on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese “not acceptable.”

“You can agree or disagree with someone, but you should never sanction them,” said Turk in response to a question from Anadolu at a news conference in New York.

“They were appointed by the Human Rights Council as independent experts, and the sanction is just not acceptable,” he said.

He said the sanctions on Albanese and the International Criminal Court (ICC) “are not in line with international law from our perspective.”

Yemen’s armed forces said they neutralised 239 Houthi militia members in 749 operations targeting the group’s military positions across several fronts during 24 hours as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen.

Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the armed forces, said on X that the operations targeted Houthi command centres, fortifications, firing positions, reinforcements and supply routes.

He said the attacks disrupted Houthi militia field command operations, suppressed firing positions and prevented frontline units from receiving reinforcements and supplies.

Army units and allied Popular Resistance forces continued consolidating their gains and increasing pressure on Houthi positions in southwestern Taiz province, he said.