Middle East

US envoy Tom Barrack met with Syria's foreign minister shortly after President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral ties and regional security.

Despite grim forecasts, the World Bank projects regional economies could rebound by 7.8% in 2027 if the conflict ends this year, though the Hormuz blockade and inflation remain major threats.

The conflict, now an overspill of the US-Iran war, has added new chaos to a region already aflame, and threatens to draw other states into grueling mountain fighting.

Iran has now warned regional countries that any attempt to open new routes for oil exports would be considered hostile, a senior regional official close to Tehran said.

Turkey is assessing how it can help Saudi Arabia defend against attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants under a joint defense pact with Pakistan, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan said.

The end of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq leaves local forces carrying more of the operational burden while Washington retains a regional intelligence and support role.

Israel reportedly warned US and German partners three weeks ago of a potential threat, with concern focused on bases supporting US military operations and logistics linked to the conflict with Iran.

According to the WSJ, Hammami told investigators that he had sought to crash a plane into an Israeli target, such as Ben-Gurion Airport, due to the situation in Gaza.

The Syrian president's media adviser, Ahmad Zaidan, denied that Saudi Arabia had requested that Syria deploy forces to help fight the Houthis in Yemen.

Israel Katz orders administrative removal of left-wing activists ahead of West Bank olive harvest • IDF kills Hamas commander who held several former Israeli hostages