Seth J. Frantzman

Is it possible that Riyadh’s decision to move quickly to stop the STC in late December was linked to larger strategy issues in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden?

The US president is a man of action, as Rubio has characterized him. "If you don't know, now you know.” Now Madruo knows. Iran, Russia, China, and other countries will be watching. 

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

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.

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.

With 2025 coming to a close, many of Israel's issues remain unresolved. It’s worth examining 2026's challenges one at a time and assessing the hurdles Israel still faces.

Multiple vehicles were torched in Negev towns overnight, with police linking the incidents to reprisals following ongoing operations in nearby Bedouin communities.

A rare dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE erupted after Riyadh launched airstrikes in Yemen, accusing Abu Dhabi-backed forces of threatening stability by seizing territory.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) stated “it would stand firmly against any unrest or territorial aggression, warning adversaries against miscalculation.” 

The Houthis targeted Riyadh for years until Saudi Arabia was able to secure a kind of ceasefire in Yemen and also reconcile with Iran over the last few years.