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June 21, 2026

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People ride motorcycles past a large billboard showing portraits of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), and slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in central Tehran on June 8, 2026.

Analysis

From Beirut to Bab el Mandeb, Iran tests new deterrence strategy

Tehran views its latest clash with Israel as a watershed moment and proof that any attack on its regional allies can trigger direct and immediate retaliation.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Saudis shop for fresh products at a market in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2026, on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security

Roughly 61 million people in the Gulf rely on established food supply chains, many of which have been upended since the United States and Israel launched their attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Latest News

Analysis

In Saudi Arabia, Erdogan fosters security alignment, $30B trade push

Riyadh

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Yemen’s Houthis hint at Red Sea attacks as US-Iran tensions rise: What to know

Galaxy Leader

Thousands rally for South Yemen independence amid Saudi diplomatic push

AFP via Getty Images

Egypt's economy can weather more Red Sea attacks, says finance minister

Ships sail along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia on April 16, 2025.

Armed supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebels attend a rally in the capital Sanaa on Jan. 29, 2024.

Yemeni pro-government faction seizes new Houthi weapons shipment

The Houthis have continued to resupply with advanced missile and drone components from Iran despite their bilateral truce with the US Navy, military officials said.

Houthis ship

Analysis

Is Red Sea truce over? What Houthi attacks mean for US, regional stability

The renewed Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea may give Iran time to recover from the June war with Israel, according to some observers.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente , Rosaleen Carroll

A picture taken during an organized tour by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Nov. 22, 2023, shows the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, seized by Houthi fighters two days earlier, approaching the port in the Red Sea off Yemen's province of Hodeida.

In first attack after truce, Houthis claim to have sunk ship in Red Sea: What to know

A Greek-owned ship on the Red Sea was targeted by the Houthis on Sunday, just months after the Yemeni group reached a ceasefire agreement with the US.

Awlaki

Analysis

With latest video, Yemen's AQAP seeks relevance, taps into regional outrage

The first video address by Yemeni al-Qaeda leader Saad al-Awlaki follows a decline in clashes between the group and the Iran-backed Houthis in what one expert dubbed a "collaborative arrangement."

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2025.

Trump travel ban bars entry from Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen

The president during his first term issued a number of travel bans largely aimed at Middle Eastern countries, and the new one targets countries the administration says have insufficient vetting procedures and internal security risks.

Airport employees stand next to a destroyed plane at the Sanaa International Airport on May 7, 2025, a day after Israel's military warplanes struck Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa.

Israel strikes Yemen airport, claims Houthis' last plane destroyed

In response to several missile attacks by the Houthis, the Israeli military struck Yemen's international airport in Sanaa on Wednesday morning.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House on May 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump provided an update on the Houthi conflict in the Middle East. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Trump agreed to ceasefire with Houthis that ignores Israel, root causes

Despite heavy bombardment, the Houthis retained significant missile and drone capabilities, adapted tactically, inflicted a $1 billion cost on US and emerged more strategically valuable to Iran.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images

Houthis pledge more attacks on Israel despite Trump truce: What to know

President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of a ceasefire in Yemen drew mixed reactions from region as the Houthis vowed to continue strikes on Israel and some countries welcomed the truce as a step toward stability.

US President Donald Trump waits for the arrival of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump says US will stop bombing campaign against Houthis in Yemen

“They don’t want to fight anymore,” the US president said, announcing a pause in strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Smoke billows on the horizon following an Israeli air strike on Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on May 6, 2025.

Israel pummels Sanaa airport in strikes on Houthis as US denies involvement

The new attack is the second in less than a day after the Houthi launched a missile at Israel's Ben Gurion airport over the weekend.

A February 6, 2025 photo shows the US Treasury in Washington, DC. Opponents to US President Donald Trump say he allowed Elon Musk -- the world's richest man and a major government contractor -- to break the law by accessing US Treasury payment systems that send out trillions of dollars and hold a welter of sensitive personal data. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participates in a TV interview outside of the White House on March 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Hegseth visited the White House to join U.S. President Donald Trump in announcing the Next Generation of Air Dominance (NGDA) program, the F-47, the sixth-generation high-tech Air Force fighter to succeed the F-22 Raptor. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

What the Signal chat leak reveals about Trump’s Middle East policy

Washington is reeling from an unprecedented leak of the military’s operational plans to strike Yemen’s Houthis, which were shared on a Signal group chat that included a high-profile journalist.