NEW DELHI / CAIRO / KYIV — The world’s two most sensitive energy routes and a major emerging-power summit dominated world news today, September 12, 2026.
Iran-backed Houthi forces tightened their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb strait after seizing islands and Red Sea coastline in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack launched from Iraq. In New Delhi, BRICS leaders adopted a joint declaration calling for “maximum restraint” in the Middle East. Russian strikes killed civilians across Ukraine, North Korea fired short-range missiles, and U.S. President Donald Trump told Irish leaders that a united Ireland would be “fantastic.”
Houthis seize Red Sea islands as Saudi pipeline closes
Yemen’s Houthis made their largest territorial gains in years along the southern entrance to the Red Sea, capturing islands at Bab el-Mandeb — one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes linking Europe and Asia. Reports said the group also took ground around the port of Mokha after fighting with Saudi-backed forces.
Saudi Arabia said drones from Iraqi territory struck the East-West pipeline, a route used to move crude west while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh shut the line as a precaution. Iraq said the attack originated on its soil. President Trump said Iran was “probably” responsible. Tehran has not been independently proven in court as the operator of the strike; StudioX is reporting that claim as a U.S. accusation.
The twin shocks matter because Iran and aligned groups now sit across two chokepoints: Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. U.S. diesel prices were reported above $6 a gallon as the wider Iran-related war continues to disrupt fuel flows. Oman-hosted talks on the future of Hormuz were expected as early as Monday.
The International Organization for Migration said tens of thousands of Yemenis have been displaced by the latest fighting.
BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration
India hosted the two-day BRICS summit. After late negotiations over language on the West Asia war, members adopted a New Delhi Declaration by consensus. The text urged “maximum restraint” and condemned unilateral war in general terms without naming the United States, Israel, Iran or the UAE.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi’s first visit to India in seven years, focused on trade and a cautious reset after the Ladakh standoff. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and a senior UAE leader met on the sidelines and backed a restraint statement — their highest-profile encounter since the Iran war began on February 28. Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended.
Russian strikes kill civilians in Ukraine
Russian drone and missile attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded dozens, Ukrainian officials said, with hits reported in Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Kryvyi Rih and a large strike on the Port of Odesa area. European officials separately moved a package of about €6.1 billion to help Ukraine buy air defences, including U.S. Patriot interceptors, as winter approaches. Kyiv said three-sided talks could resume in October.
Trump in Ireland; North Korea fires missiles
Trump arrived in Ireland for meetings with President Catherine Connolly and Prime Minister Micheál Martin, alongside a golf event at his Doonbeg club. He said Irish unification would be “fantastic,” breaking with the long-standing U.S. posture of neutrality after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Protesters gathered in Dublin and Doonbeg over U.S. policy on Iran and Gaza.
South Korea said North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea after U.S.–South Korea–Japan Freedom Edge drills. U.S. Pacific Command said the launches posed no immediate threat to U.S. territory.
Other world news today
- Philippines: The death toll from the June Aster ferry fire rose to 76, with more victims still unaccounted for.
- Indonesia: Search teams looked for a passenger ship carrying about 240 people after it lost contact in the Java Sea.
- Switzerland: A Dutch tourist coach overturned in the Alps, killing several people.
- Gaza: Israel said it killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike.
- Hong Kong: A court sentenced Tiananmen vigil activists to five to seven years on national-security charges.
- Climate: Scientists said Earth recorded its hottest August on record as a strong El Niño pattern took shape.
- United States: The country marked 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The CIA released additional presidential briefs on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
Why it matters
Energy, shipping insurance and food prices all move when the Red Sea and Hormuz are contested at the same time. BRICS tried to speak with one voice without picking a side in that war. Ukraine’s civilian toll and Europe’s air-defence package show the other major war is not frozen. StudioX will update this file if Oman talks, pipeline repair timelines or official death tolls change.
What is the biggest world news today?
The Houthi advance at Bab el-Mandeb and the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, alongside the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Did BRICS blame the United States or Iran?
The adopted text called for maximum restraint and did not name the main warring parties.
Is the Saudi pipeline attack confirmed as an Iranian operation?
Saudi Arabia and Iraq said drones came from Iraqi territory. Trump said Iran was probably responsible. That remains an allegation until independently established
Reporting compiled from official statements, September 12, 2026.
I am Rukaiya Kadiwala, an experienced News Content Writer with 6+ years of expertise in hospitality, travel, hotel, restaurant, business, and lifestyle news. Skilled in writing, research, fact-checking, headline creation, and digital publishing, I create accurate, engaging, and high-quality content that informs and attracts readers worldwide.
