Saudis plan assault on Houthis to break Red Sea chokehold
The operation, expected to be launched in the coming weeks, will be led by Yemeni forces on the ground, which are overseen by Riyadh and supported by Saudi air strikes.
Middle East
UAE source criticizes Israel's use of 'rescue flights' after flydubai incident
Pakistan says Mecca pact members to hold emergency talks on engaging Houthis
Hunger increasing in Yemen, record number of people unable to meet food needs, WFP warns
UAE president's senior advisor calls flydubai plane hijacking 'dangerous terrorist attack'
PM Netanyahu, in a video update on Friday, characterized the hijacking as a potential "disaster on the scale of 9/11" and vowed that those behind the attack "will pay a heavy price.
Flydubai saga captures Israel’s role in a new Middle East - and its old limits
DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: From Netanyahu’s UAE visit to the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, a dramatic week reveals the possibilities and limits of regional cooperation.
Iran weighing options against US, Israel as nuclear talks stall, Israeli defense official says
A senior Israeli defense official said Iran's room for maneuver has narrowed amid US sanctions, while Israel is preparing for the possibility that an Iranian move could spiral out of control.
US sends Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia, Qatar to protect oil, gas facilities - report
According to the report, the US wanted to reassure the countries that their key energy facilities would be protected in case major combat operations resume within the region.
Yemen claims 20 strikes carried out on Houthis, as Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted missile
US deploys third aircraft carrier to Middle East • UKMTO says tanker struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz • Houthis attacked Medina
Flydubai hijacker, wounded pilot accompanied by Emirati security team to UAE, Saudi Arabia says
Both were cleared to fly by medical professionals after being hospitalized once the aircraft landed in Tubuk.
Araghchi offered inspectors access to nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief - report
While Araghchi did not speak explicitly about the state of Iran's economy, the diplomats told Bloomberg that the suggestion signals the extent of the country's economic struggles.
US Treasury announces sanctions on Iranian railway, automotive industries
Among entities added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Specially Designated Nationals List as part of the new sanctions is the Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company.
In their own voice: How Iran’s citizens documented January's massacres in Manoto documentary
IRAN AFFAIRS: There is now another account of those weeks by the Iranians who were living through them, one that was recorded as events unfolded live.
US waives human rights conditions on $320 million in military aid to Egypt over Iran war role
Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that the military aid was necessary for "counterterrorism, border security, or nonproliferation programs."
