Saudi defense chief meets Khamenei in historic Iran visit: What to know Prince Khalid’s visit marks a further step in Iran and Saudi Arabia’s political reconciliation, but it comes at a tense time in the region, with the second round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations just two days away. Saudi Arabia
US approves $400M deal to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot air defenses The planned recertification marks Washington’s latest show of military support for Gulf Arab states, as the US prepares for a potential confrontation with Iran over its nuclear enrichment program. United States
Top US general calls out Houthi-Shabaab ties across Yemen-Somalia strait The Pentagon has opened the aperture on al-Shabaab in recent months, allowing AFRICOM to ramp up strikes on the al-Qaeda offshoot in the Horn of Africa. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
US sanctions Russia-based network for aiding Houthis as strikes continue The sanctions target several individuals based in Russia accused of assisting Houthi official Sa’id al-Jamal, who has been under US sanctions since 2021. Yemen
Analysis Can US halt Houthi attacks without getting embroiled in Gaza, Yemen wars? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis Wary of Houthis, Gulf states fear blowback of US escalation in Yemen By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
Intel: Missiles that struck Saudi Arabia last year 'of Iranian origin,' UN says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the drones and cruise missiles that struck Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries and an international airport last year came from Iran. Saudi Arabia
Intel: State Department official 'tried to bully' watchdog reviewing Saudi arms sale The independent watchdog ousted by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that a high-ranking State Department official “tried to bully” him in part because of his review of last year’s emergency arms sale for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia
Saudi aid to Yemen will continue despite reports of Houthi interference In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor after the Yemen Donor Conference, Abdullah Al Rabeeah, supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, said he expects pledges to continue. Saudi Arabia
Gunmen kill Yemeni journalist in Aden A Yemeni photographer has become the 16th journalist to be killed in Yemen since the start of the country’s civil war. Yemen
Saudi-led coalition says it downs two Houthi drones A coalition spokesperson said the Houthis launched two drones in the direction of residential areas in Saudi Arabia. Originals
Can Saudi Arabia fix Yemen’s anti-Houthi coalition? Following the breakdown of the Riyadh agreement, and renewed fighting in April, Saudi Arabia hosted the STC president to discuss the situation, but it remains doubtful the Gulf state can offer an easy solution if the war with the Houthis is not settled first. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Trump administration pursues new Saudi arms deal despite investigation The Donald Trump administration is doubling down with a new arms deal for Saudi Arabia despite an investigation into last year’s $8 billion emergency weapons sale to Riyadh, a key Senate Democrat revealed in a CNN op-ed Wednesday. Saudi Arabia
Missile strike on Yemeni military base kills 7, including top general’s son The Saudi-backed Yemeni government blamed the attack, which killed the son and nephew of the military's chief of staff, on Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Houthis continue to detain Baha’i prisoners despite promise to release them The political head of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Mehdi al-Mashat, vowed to release six Baha’i prisoners during a lengthy televised address in March. Two months later, multiple sources have confirmed to Al-Monitor that the Yemeni rebels have failed to follow through and that all six prisoners remain behind bars. Yemen
'Double disaster' in Yemen as funding runs dry during COVID-19 outbreak In Yemen, where the health care system is dangerously overstretched and aid cuts threaten what remains, health care workers warn the country's battle against the novel coronavirus is only beginning. Yemen
Yemen advocates push for COVID-19 aid in next coronavirus stimulus bill Activists and humanitarian organizations want Congress to include COVID-19 aid for Yemen in the next coronavirus relief bill as skeptical senators question the Trump administration’s recent restrictions on assistance for Houthi-held areas. Yemen
Yemeni government vows to confront southern rebellion Yemen's internationally recognized government pledged to respond to any attacks from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in the country's south. Saudi Arabia
