Middle East

Yemen's Hadramout Saudi-backed governor announces 'peaceful operation' to reclaim military sites

Flights were halted on Thursday at Yemen’s Aden international airport, the main international gateway for regions of the country outside Houthi control.

A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Experts see systemic fractures in Iran protests, not single-leader movement

A sign at a currency exchange bureau as the value of the Iranian rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, December 20, 2025.

As Iranians rise up against Islamic regime, US and Israel navigate between solidarity and sabotage

A DEMONSTRATOR raises his arms and makes the victory sign during a protest for Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic Republic’s ‘morality police,’ in Tehran in September 2022.

'We are locked and loaded': Trump threatens to attack Iran regime if protesters harmed

An Iranian woman shops at a vendor on a sidewalk near the traditional Tajrish Bazaar in northern Tehran, Iran, on December 31, 2025.

Israel's Farsi social media encourages Iranian protesters

Israel used its Farsi channel to amplify messages of resistance as protests spread in Iran.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByJAMES GENN

The Israeli Foreign Ministry's Persian-language social media account shares anti-regime cartoons, January 1, 2026.

Iranian Defense Ministry offers contracts via crypto in attempt to bypass sanctions

Iran’s Defense Ministry export body is offering cryptocurrency payments for military contracts, signaling a new way to bypass sanctions on arms sales.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByJAMES GENN

An Iranian missile is displayed during a rally marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan in Tehran, Iran April 29, 2022.

‘Refrigerators are empty’: Iran protests spark civilian cries for regime collapse - interview

“Refrigerators are empty. Pockets are empty. Every day, people see themselves becoming poorer," one protester told The Jerusalem Post.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByAMICHAI STEIN

People walk past stores as the value of the Iranian Rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2025.

'Javid Shah!' Why Iranians are calling for the return of the Pahlavis and their monarchy

IRAN AFFAIRS: A slogan once considered politically unutterable has returned, and sounds of crowds chanting it fill the air as Iranian protests continue to call for the end of the Islamic Republic.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByALEX WINSTON

‘JAVID SHAH’ (Long Live the Shah) has become the slogan of the ongoing Iranian protests. Here, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, sits during an interview in Paris in June, after the Israel-Iran war.

Iraq moves to reclaim Ain al-Assad as US-led coalition ends mission

Assad's base was one of the few places the US remained, until Iran targeted the base with ballistic missiles in 2020 in response to the US killing Soleimani.

JANUARY 1, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A member of the Iraqi security forces stands by a destroyed vehicle that was carrying rockets amdist sacks of flour, in the district of al-Baghdadi in al-Anbar province on July 8, 2021.

Yemen’s Aden airport shut by STC-backed transport minister, Saudi source says

A shutdown of Aden airport was ordered by the transportation minister in the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) that runs southern Yemen, a Saudi source told Reuters on Thursday.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByREUTERS, SETH J. FRANTZMAN

A Yemen Airways (Yemenia) plane stands at Aden Airport in Aden, Yemen January 1, 2026.

Somaliland denies trading recognition with Israel for accepting Gazans

Last week, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland, angering international powers who bemoaned the move at the United Nations Security Council.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

Hezbollah given 'final chance' to disarm by Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt - report

Disarmament would "spare Lebanon an Israeli strike" that would "deepen the gap" between Hezbollah and the Lebanese people, an Asharq Al-Awsat report noted.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF