Category: Middle East
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Tuesday (Dec. 30) it would withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call by Yemen’s leadership for Emirati troops to leave within 24 hours. The move follows a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on the southern port of Mukalla, which Riyadh said targeted a UAE-linked arms…
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Large-scale protests broke out across Iran on Monday (Dec. 29) following a sharp fall in the Iranian rial and the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran. Demonstrations were reported in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad, with shop closures in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and police deploying tear gas in some…
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Yemen’s presidential council announced a state of emergency on Tuesday (Dec. 30) following a Saudi Arabia-led airstrike on the southern port of Mukalla. Saudi authorities said the strike targeted a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group. Key developments: • The Presidential Leadership Council…
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US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could carry out further military strikes if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear or missile capabilities, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on 29 December. Trump said suspected activity may be occurring outside previously targeted sites and reiterated that any confirmed rebuilding would face “powerful”…
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that Tehran is engaged in what he described as an “all-out war” with the United States, Europe, and Israel, as US President Donald Trump prepared to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. “We are in an all-out war with the US, Israel and Europe,” Pezeshkian said. “They…
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Yemen’s southern separatist movement has accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes on its allied forces in the east of the country, deepening tensions inside the anti-Houthi coalition. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) said Saudi warplanes struck the Hadhrami Elite twice on Friday (Dec. 26) near Wadi Nahb in Hadramout province. Riyadh has not confirmed the…
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Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi movement have agreed a large-scale prisoner exchange following two weeks of negotiations hosted by Oman. Government negotiator Majid Fadael said the deal would see the release of “thousands of detainees and abductees”. The Houthis separately confirmed the agreement. Key details • Release of 1,700 Houthi prisoners in exchange…
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Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to de-escalate tensions on Monday (Dec. 22) evening in Aleppo, following clashes that killed at least two civilians and injured several others. Syria’s state news agency SANA said the Defence Ministry ordered the army to halt targeting SDF positions. The SDF later confirmed it…
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Israel, Greece, and Cyprus have reaffirmed their strategic partnership following a trilateral summit in Jerusalem, underscoring cooperation on energy, security, and regional connectivity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, describing the meeting as the most consequential in a series of long-running talks. The leaders also held…
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Israel’s security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking a further escalation in the government’s settlement expansion policy. Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, who advanced the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israeli settlements…
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