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
Thousands rally for South Yemen independence amid Saudi diplomatic push Large protests called for southern independence in Yemen on Friday, reflecting persistent support for the separatists despite the Saudi-backed government’s efforts to quash the separatist movement. Yemen
Egypt's economy can weather more Red Sea attacks, says finance minister Egypt lost some $13 billion worth of Suez Canal fees over two years due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, according to estimates from Egyptian officials. Egypt
Analysis US response muted as Gulf allies clash in Yemen By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Shiites reel from attack in Saudi province Saudi authorities need to curb hate speech against Shiites and take positive action to help its Shiite community, as well. Saudi Arabia
Is Islamic State 'secondary priority' for Saudi Arabia? Riyadh is preoccupied with the military campaign in Yemen; Velayati tells Lebanese officials there will be no deal on Assad; the Turkish opposition party is under attack ahead of June 7 elections. Saudi Arabia
Why Saudi Arabia's Yemen war is not producing victory Saudi Arabia is seen as having jumped into the war in Yemen without having thought out the consequences for itself, the United States and the struggle against the Islamic State. Saudi Arabia
Senior Hezbollah official speaks out In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc in Lebanon discusses the war in Syria and the party’s role there, the Saudi war against Yemen and the presidential stalemate in Lebanon. Yemen
Russia weighs in on Yemen After Russia's shift to soft power in the Middle East, President Vladimir Putin discusses Russia's "need to abandon ‘the law of the strongest’ and ‘rule of the fist.’” Yemen
US works to assure Gulf allies US Secretary of State John Kerry has been in Paris to try and ease tensions with Gulf allies over the prospective Iran nuclear deal ahead of the GCC meeting in Washington. Legacy: Gulf
Hamas courts Saudis Hamas is seeking a rapprochement with Saudi Arabia to improve its leverage in Palestinian reconciliation talks, which might not please Egypt, which has long brokered the discussions, or Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Legacy: Gulf
Al-Qaeda emir's silence prompts suspicion Al-Qaeda's usually outspoken emir, Ayman al-Zawahri, has remained uncharacteristically silent through the course of recent al-Qaeda successes, leading many to question what may come next. Legacy: Gulf
Carter: Syria 'safe zones' would be 'major combat mission' US secretary of defense tells Congress no-fly zone would be "difficult thing to contemplate"; state institutions collapse as result of war in Yemen; Obama administration rejects direct arms to Iraqi Kurdistan. Saudi Arabia
King Salman needs total victory in Yemen The new Saudi king must reassure his domestic audience that his aggressive foreign policy will safeguard the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Oman breaks from GCC on Yemen conflict Oman sees Saudi Arabia's strategy in Yemen as misguided and dangerous for the Gulf region. Legacy: Gulf
Is Iran really to blame for Yemen conflict? Yemen's conflict is homegrown and the only way to stabilize the country's descent into civil war is through a political deal. Saudi Arabia
