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.” By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
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. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis In Saudi Arabia, Erdogan fosters security alignment, $30B trade push The Turkish president’s visit cemented Ankara and Riyadh’s accelerating convergence as regional crises mount and Gulf rivalries sharpen. By 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 The Houthi warnings come as a US aircraft carrier accompanied by several guided missile destroyers entered Gulf waters amid tensions with Iran. Iran
Is a bromance brewing between Sudan, the Saudis? Egypt gets the cold shoulder while Saudi Arabia helps get some US sanctions lifted from Sudan, and Khartoum remains committed to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Trump’s Middle East fans get caught up in global blowback Political leaders from Israel to Saudi Arabia are quickly finding out that siding with Trump comes at a price. Saudi Arabia
Democrats urged Obama to cease Yemen war role before Trump took over Twenty-five House Democrats wrote to Barack Obama earlier this month to ask him to stop supporting the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia
How Washington, Riyadh can work together to counter terrorism It would behoove Washington and Riyadh to take steps to reassure each other in the fight against terrorism. Saudi Arabia
Is more women entering Yemen's labor market really progress? Yemen's vicious civil war has altered many aspects of society so that women are forced into the family's breadwinning positions, which may not necessarily reflect a milestone in gender equality. Yemen
Why Saudi Arabia and Egypt are competing for influence in Africa Some observers fear Saudi and Egyptian differences could spread Middle Eastern conflicts to Africa. Saudi Arabia
Why did Oman join Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism alliance? Oman joins the 40-member Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, yet still strikes a balance while refusing to distance itself from Iran in order to please Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
How long can Yemen's Houthi-Saleh alliance last? Houthis and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh claim they have formed a government, but they can't necessarily convince the world, or even each other, in the long run to accept it. Saudi Arabia
Preventable illnesses menace children in Yemen The war in Yemen is showing no signs of ending, and as this most violent period of its modern history drags on, young children are as much at risk to disease as to militant violence. Yemen
Is Yemen falling into an abyss? Yemen's brutal civil war must end soon before the damage becomes irreparable. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia losing ground to Iran Saudi influence in the region has been on the decline for a number of reasons, and the kingdom has now suffered another setback in Lebanon with the election of President Michel Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia
What recent Houthi moves in Red Sea mean for Israel Houthi assaults against US and UAE vessels should indicate to Israel that control of Red Sea waters might be at stake. Saudi Arabia