Category: Middle East

A UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday (17 Sep) shifted from discussions on the country’s political transition to a diplomatic exchange between Israel and Türkiye over their respective military presence in Syrian territory. During the meeting, Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon argued that Türkiye maintains a substantially larger military presence in Syria than Israel,…

A UN fact-finding mission has found reasonable grounds to believe that US airstrikes on civilian sites in Iran, including a primary school in Minab, may have constituted war crimes. The report examined the 28 February strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School, where investigators said the facility was clearly identifiable as a school and found no…

Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, defended Israel’s security policy in Syria on Thursday (17 Sep), telling reporters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting that Israel continues to face “verified security threats” from Syrian territory. Danon said ISIS, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continue to operate in Syria,…

Yemen’s Houthi movement has expanded its control along the country’s western coastline, capturing the strategic port city of Mocha and advancing towards key islands near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  The group – formally known as Ansar Allah –  has also claimed control…

Saudi Arabia has suspended operations on its East-West pipeline after a drone attack in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, with authorities describing the move as a precaution while damage is assessed. The Saudi Press Agency, citing a Ministry of Energy source, said the incident caused injuries and that emergency teams were deployed to secure the…

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has warned the UN Security Council that Yemen is facing “the greatest risk of a return to large-scale conflict since the 2022 truce”, adding that “that risk has now turned into a harsh reality”. Speaking on Thursday (10 Sep), Grundberg said fighting had intensified across multiple front lines,…

Houthi forces have seized the strategic Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mokha, according to multiple media reports and regional sources, marking one of the group’s most significant territorial gains since fighting escalated in recent months.  The advance brings Houthi forces closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea…

The United States and Iran exchanged strikes against vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (5 Sep), marking a further escalation in their ongoing regional conflict. According to U.S. Central Command, American forces struck three Iranian oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Admiral…

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has launched air strikes against Houthi positions as heavy ground fighting intensifies in the western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah.  The clashes, among the deadliest since the 2022 truce, are centred on territory leading to the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The strikes were carried out in support of government forces responding…

Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen defence and political cooperation under the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defence following a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in İstanbul on Monday (31 Aug). The meeting brought together the three countries’ foreign ministers, defence ministers and chiefs of defence to discuss regional security,…