Analysis US balances Houthi diplomacy with support for Saudi offensive Renewed fighting in Yemen is forcing the United States to balance support for Saudi Arabia with efforts to preserve its truce with the Houthis. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province witnesses uptick in attacks Iranian authorities accuse foreign-backed armed groups of being behind a string of deadly attacks in the southeast, amid concerns about the resumption of war with the United States. Iran
US quietly aids Saudi Arabia’s Yemen campaign with intel, refueling Pentagon aims to keep Yemen and Iran wars separate while shielding the flow of Gulf oil exports from attack as Riyadh bears the brunt of the Houthis' missile and drone barrages. Yemen
Why Netanyahu still resists an independent probe 3 years after Oct. 7 Alongside official memorial ceremonies taking place across Israel on Monday, civil society groups are holding protests calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to take responsibility for the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel
Analysis Three years after Oct. 7, Hamas’ grip on Gaza tests Netanyahu’s ‘total victory’ By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
As Israel's raids grow in West Bank, so does Palestinian support for armed groups The armed factions in the West Bank are enjoying overwhelming popular support as the cycle of violence intensifies. Palestine
Four US troops, working dog wounded in Syria raid against Islamic State A senior IS official was killed in a raid in northeast Syria that injured US troops and a working dog, who were transported to Iraq for medical treatment. Syria In Crisis
Did US pressure force Turkey to let Syrian-Kurdish earthquake aid into rebel-held northwest? Ankara relents, allowing the first humanitarian aid and disaster relief to enter devastated northwest Syria from the country's Kurdish-run northeast. Syria
Arab states, militias pour aid into Syria as earthquake death toll exceeds 5,000 The Lebanese group Hezbollah and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces are among the militias that delivered aid to Syria. Syria
Turkey's earthquake spikes Europe's fears of Middle East flare-ups The Turkish-Syrian border area at large remains one of the world’s geopolitical quagmires, a major epicenter of tensions and fault lines that run throughout the Middle East toward Europe. By Gilles Kepel
Sweden blocks Quran-burning protest Turkey came out against Sweden’s NATO bid after a far-right activist burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy last month. Sweden is now seeking to resume dialogue over the issue. Turkey
Ankara lashes out at US envoy over security alerts: 'Get your filthy hands off Turkey' Turkey’s rhetoric against Washington and several European capitals grows more belligerent, with the interior minister calling out the American ambassador. Turkey
Trilateral Biden-Abdullah-Sudani call reiterated support for Iraq The Iraqi prime minister also discussed Iraq’s economic situation with the president as the dinar continues to slide against the dollar. Jordan's King Abdullah II was also on the call. Iraq
Pro-Iran group claims attack on Turkey's base in northern Iraq The so-called Bashiqa base, which has long been a source of tension between Ankara and Baghdad, is a frequent target of rocket attacks by pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. Turkey
Senior Islamic State leader killed in US raid in Somalia Bilal al-Sudani, "a key operator and global facilitator for IS’ global network," died along with 10 companions in a firefight with US forces in a cave complex last night, Biden administration officials said. The Horn of Africa
Iraq repatriates 580 citizens from Syria’s al-Hol camp The Islamic State sees the tens of thousands of detainees at al-Hol and other prison facilities in Syria as key to rebuilding its army, US officials have said. Iraq
Afghanistan's Hazara minority increasingly fearful under Taliban Al-Monitor spoke to members of the long-persecuted Hazara Shiite minority group in Afghanistan as restrictions on women increase and verifiable information becomes scarcer. By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
