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September 11, 2026

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Admiral Charles Bradford "Brad" Cooper II, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

CENTCOM chief in Saudi Arabia as Yemen's Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb

The Houthis' seizure of Mocha and Perim Island effectively puts them in a position to close the Bab al-Mandeb.

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mocha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mocha, held by Yemen's internationally recognized, Aden-based government, on Aug. 10, 2026.

Houthis seize Red Sea city, tighten grip near strategic Bab al-Mandeb: What to know

Taking control of the towns bordering the Bab al-Mandeb Strait deals a significant blow to Saudi Arabia, which has relied heavily on the key waterway to keep its exports afloat.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia’s oil production slumps to lowest in 36 years as war bites

The kingdom reported to OPEC that crude output fell by 1.9 million to 6.238 million barrels per day in August.

Latest News

Analysis

How Saudi Arabia seeks to contain Yemen's Houthis without provoking Iran

Fighters supporting the Aden-based, internationally recognized Yemeni government gather during a vigil along the Red Sea shore in Khokha, in Yemen's western Hodeidah province, on July 20, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Brent crude sails past $100 as Middle East war intensifies

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

73 wounded in Houthi strike on Saudi Arabia as Riyadh vows response: What to know

Khaled ZIAD / AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

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

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

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

Francesco Schiavi

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

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

A Turkish police officer who stands guard at the Saudi Arabia's consulate is seen at the entrance, in Istanbul, Turkey October 10, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC133B501BB0

Intel: How Trump is walking back threats to retaliate against Saudi Arabia

Participants, including Russian President Vladimir Putin (4th R) and Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih (3rd L), attend a session of the Russian Energy Week international forum in Moscow, Russia October 3, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC111436C470

Saudis skeptical about Russia's oil production prospects

Saudi Arabia's projection that Russian oil production will dwindle significantly triggered a backlash in Moscow, which says it has options up its sleeve that will prove Riyadh wrong.

Bahrain opposition calls for boycott of upcoming elections

November elections may do little to end the standoff between Bahrain's Sunni-led government and leaders of the country's Shiite majority.

Turkish-Saudi rift could hinge on US reaction to missing journalist

The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist and Washington Post contributor, has created a triangle of fault lines between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC16218400E0

Commentary: Saudi First foreign policy comes back to bite Trump

US alignment with Riyadh’s worldview is under scrutiny after the disappearance of journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) arrives to join U.S. President Donald Trump and the rest of the U.S. delegation to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC161444CEB0

Democrats’ promised Trump probes threaten to sweep up Mideast allies

Key US allies could be caught in the crosshairs as Democrats plan extensive investigations into President Donald Trump’s policies and business dealings should they win in November.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about Hurricane Michael prior to signing the "Save Our Seas Act of 2018" at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Kevvin Lamarque - RC14F2A7E6E0

Trump weighs Saudi Arabia’s fate in Khashoggi affair

The US president said “a lot of work” is being done on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and promised “there'll be something that has to take place.”

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and King Salman of Saudi Arabia (L) are pictured during a family photo session at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Istanbul Summit in Istanbul, Turkey April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - GF10000382307

Iranian media see Saudi-Turkey rift in Khashoggi case

While some Iranian media see the possibility of tension between Iran and Turkey over the case of Jamal Khashoggi, one analyst in particular warns that such an atmosphere is not conducive to resolving differences.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 10: A police officer providing security waits at the front door of Saudi Arabia's consulate on October 10, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources includ

Congress orders federal probe into Khashoggi’s disappearance

Bipartisan calls for a federal probe and possible sanctions against Saudi Arabia indicate that Congress has lost confidence in Riyadh.

A Saudi Arabian flag flies over as CCTV camera is seen the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 10, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. Saudi Arabia agreed to let Turkish authorities search its Istanbul consulate as part of the investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as his fiancee asked

Intel: Why Turkey outed an alleged Saudi 'hit squad'

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during the Senate Budget Committee markup of the FY2018 Budget reconciliation legislation on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - HP1EDBS1M6A2D

Intel: How Saudi journalist’s disappearance is becoming US election issue

A Turkish police officer stands guard outside the Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1735552880

Turkish authorities to search Saudi consulate for missing journalist

As the Turkish authorities prepare to search the Saudi consulate where a dissident Saudi journalist disappeared last week, the Turkish opposition is curiously silent about the matter despite the ruling party's harsh treatment of the country's own press.