Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a residential area in Yemen's third-largest city, killing two teenage girls. The strike on Tuesday renewed attention to the dangers faced by civilians in Taiz.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk says the Houthi siege has sent prices soaring, leaving many residents without food and other necessities.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk says the Houthi siege has sent prices soaring, leaving many residents without food and other necessities.

On January 5, 2025, Saudi Arabia’s then ambassador to Bangladesh, Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan, delivered a stark reminder of a lost opportunity. Saudi Aramco, the Kingdom’s state-owned oil giant, had sent high-level delegations to Bangladesh three times between 2016 and 2018 to explore investment opportunities, including an oil refinery. Yet, according to the ambassador, […]

The post Houthi hits on infrastructure helping lure Aramco to Bangladesh? appeared first on Asia Times.

The Iranian-backed Houthi militia has cut road access to Taiz, one of Yemen’s largest cities, besieging it. Officials there warn of an impending humanitarian disaster.

© Anees Mahyoub/Reuters

The Saudi military has expensive equipment, but the missiles and drones used by the Yemeni militia are difficult to detect and stop.

© Fayez Nureldine/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

R.A.F. Typhoon fighter jets will be deployed to protect infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Britain said, after a spike in attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

© Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

RAF Typhoon fighters to fly defensive missions over cities and infrastructure in extension of UK support for Riyadh

RAF Typhoon fighters are to be used in efforts to protect Saudi Arabia from attack by Yemen’s Houthis, flying protective missions over the country’s cities and critical infrastructure as western allies increase their intervention in the escalating conflict.

The operation – the most significant military mission signed off by Andy Burnham as prime minister – will involve RAF pilots attempting to shoot down Houthi missiles and drones, which attacked Saudi airports and oil facilities.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Simon Maycock/Alamy

© Photograph: Simon Maycock/Alamy

© Photograph: Simon Maycock/Alamy

The Iranian-backed militia struck with ballistic missiles deep in government-held central Yemen, in what appeared to be among the deadliest attacks of the renewed war.

© Social Media, via Reuters

Attack on Shabwa province also injures over 200 as military says rebels 'targeted new recruits'; Saudi government agencies tell Riyadh employees to work from home amid Houthi attacks

More than 200 mostly young people said to be injured after ballistic missile attack on training camp for government forces

At least 53 people have been killed in a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a training camp for Yemeni government security forces, making it the largest single loss of life since the country’s civil war reignited in September.

The attack on al-Alam camp in the southern Shabwa province was said to have injured more than 200 others, mostly young recruits, and was described as a disaster by the country’s UN-recognised government. The injured were taken from the police and army training camp in the Jardan district to a hospital in the local capital, Ataq, where pleas for blood donations were made.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ahmad Al-Basha/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Al-Basha/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Al-Basha/AFP/Getty Images

A carrier loaded with Qatari liquefied natural gas is sailing north through the Red Sea, potentially speeding up delivery to European customers with a rare transit through waters vulnerable to renewed attacks from Houthi rebels.

As Netanyahu and Trump threaten Tehran, analysts say that an escalation is inevitable without a diplomatic settlement, possibly even before imminent Israeli and US elections

Riyadh says six injured in Iran-backed rebel attack, two soldiers killed in helicopter crash; Egyptian parliament postpones vote on aiding Saudi effort as Houthis issue threats

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom with drones and missiles that can change direction during flight, posing a challenge to interceptors.

At various times over the last decade, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Britain and Israel have carried out punishing air raids on the rebels — only to see them grow even stronger.

Egyptian leader says his armed forces are ready to assist Saudi Arabia 'if requested'; also announces that he won't seek another presidential term in 2030

Adm. Brad Cooper says US blocked export of $25b of Iranian oil, controls Hormuz, even as at least one tanker said struck; increased Iranian help reportedly fueled Houthi advances

United Arab Emirates will reportedly resume payments to Yemeni forces as gains by Iran-backed Houthi fighters alarm Gulf state rulers

• Yemen civil war: what sparked latest escalation and who is involved?

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to re-enter the Yemen conflict by resuming payments to some government forces fighting Iran-aligned Houthis in the south, according to sources in Yemen. In return, Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide air cover for the anti-Houthi force.

The new cooperation agreement is the first tangible sign that the deep rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia over Yemen’s future is starting to be healed – if only because the advance by Houthi forces across Yemen has alarmed all the rival Gulf state rulers.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

• Riyadh airport, one of the busiest in the Middle East, has been closed for a week after missile attacks.
• The US State Department has told Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia.
• Delta has also suspended the launch of a new route to Saudi. Here's what to do if you're affected.

Travel to Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East is looking increasingly unpredictable this fall after a series of Houthi attacks on airports, including in the capital, Riyadh.

The latest attacks killed 13 people and wounded hundreds last Saturday. Another strike the following day killed one person and injured about a dozen more.

Flights to and from Riyadh have been suspended all week, and while the airport is set to reopen on Sunday, this has yet to be confirmed.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni militant group, control territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

They have been attacking Saudi infrastructure amid an escalating regional conflict. Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government in the country's civil war, which began in 2014.

Many airplanes continue to fly over eastern Saudi Arabia, including on routes to hubs in Qatar and Dubai and onward to East Asia.

The US State Department told Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia because of the risk of missile and drone attacks, armed conflict, and terrorism. It also warned of "potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions."

The UK's Foreign Office similarly says there is a heightened threat to airports and other infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Jeddah, and Abha.

On Monday, Delta Air Lines postponed the launch of its new Atlanta-to-Riyadh route, which had been due to begin on October 23, until March 2027.

"Saudi Arabia remains an important market for Delta, and we are committed to serving the Kingdom for the long term," the airline said.

It came after the Federal Aviation Administration warned US airlines on Sunday that the threats could pose risks during overflights, takeoffs, and landings in Saudi Arabia.

Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation-risk company, said that unannounced missile launches through civilian airspace can pose a "latent hazard to flight operations at all altitudes," including from a malfunctioning missile, debris, and sudden route diversions.

It also said further attacks on Saudi aviation and energy infrastructure are likely in the short term.

What should you do if your flight is canceled?

First, check your airline's app or website before going to the airport. The flight may have been canceled or automatically rebooked.

Delta has issued a waiver for customers traveling to, from, or through Riyadh between October 23 and March 26. Eligible passengers can change their flight without paying a change fee, or cancel for a refund or credit. The rebooked trip must begin by May 31, 2027.

Other airlines may offer their own waivers, but the terms can differ.

It would be sensible to keep anything you would need for an unexpected overnight stay in your carry-on, including medication, a phone charger and power bank, toiletries, and a change of clothes.

You should also avoid tight self-booked connections.