Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Arab coalition forces fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen have intercepted an Iranian fishing boat in the Arabian Sea carrying weapons meant for the insurgent group, the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Command of the Coalition … foiled an at
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi security forces arrested three members of a cell suspected of belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group, in coordinated counterterrorism raids in the capital Riyadh and the eastern city of Dammam. Spokesman for the Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mansour
Cairo, Brussels and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Muslim leaders around the world have strongly rejected what they called “politicization” of last week’s Hajj tragedy by Iran, which blamed Saudi Arabia—the organizer of the annual Muslim pilgrimage—for the incident that killed and injured hundreds of peopl
Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemeni army forces backed by airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthi movement in Yemen on Monday wrested control of a strategic dam in the central Ma’rib province, which has for months been under the control of Houthi militias. Ma’rib’s Governor Sultan Al-A
Ahvaz, Asharq Al-Awsat—Several Iranian officials have criticized Tehran’s response to last week’s Hajj stampede that killed 769 pilgrims, with some claiming Iran is attempting to score “political points” by blaming Saudi authorities for the tragedy. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and P
New York, Aden and Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, according to Yemeni government sources. The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that Hadi will speak regarding the crisis in Yemen that began over a year ago when t
Islam is being associated with the evil we witness around us. People in areas controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are forced to flee and seek refuge from this evil that has befallen them. Islam has been hijacked by an evil group that speaks in the name of Muslims and forces [&he
Baghdad, AP/Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq will begin sharing “security and intelligence” information with Russia, Syria, and Iran to help combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Iraqi military said on Sunday. A statement issued by the Joint Operations Command said the countries wil
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi is facing a “mutiny” from within Shi’ite circles in the country over his recent crackdown on government corruption, an informed source said on Saturday. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone, the source—a high-level Shi’ite poli
Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin on Saturday criticized the UN Security Council for its response to the crisis that has plunged the country into turmoil for over a year. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone from New York—where he is attending the UN Gener
New York, Washington and Beirut, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—US Secretary of State John Kerry said he saw an opportunity for progress this week towards ending Syria’s four-year conflict, as he met Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Sat
It is a never-ending story. Whenever an emergency occurs during the Hajj season, certain parties blame Saudi Arabia who, nevertheless, continues to give pilgrims top priority. The Kingdom spends about 10 percent of its income on providing services to Mecca and Medina. Moreover, it considers hosting
Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Yemeni government will push to sue Houthis and allied supporters of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh for “deliberately destroying infrastructure and state institutions,” a spokesman has said. “Governmental and nongovernmental bodies have been documenting the scale of destruc
Mina, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Hajj tragedy that has left hundreds of people dead and injured was caused by a group of Iranian pilgrims who failed to follow instructions from Hajj authorities, an official from Iran’s Hajj mission has revealed. At least 717 pilgrims were killed and 863 injured on Thursday
Secretary of State John Kerry’s talk of going along with a “complete and clear” operational understanding with Moscow represents a significant shift. It is significant not only as far as its handling of the Syrian crisis over the last four years and a half is concerned, but also as regards its initi
Mina, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has directed the Kingdom’s authorities to conduct an investigation into the tragic stampede that killed hundreds of pilgrims near Mecca on Thursday. At least 717 pilgrims were killed and 863 injured on Thursday after two large groups of people co
With the Syrian tragedy currently dominating the headlines, the “something-must-be-done” chorus has returned to urge “action”. Almost everyone, from Moscow to Washington and passing by Paris and London, is talking of a “political solution” through negotiations or simulacra of negotiations. The probl
Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—A group of Muslim scholars from Yemen has signed an honor code aimed at putting differences aside and closing ranks to fight the Houthi rebels, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. Ibrahim Al-Zaid, an adviser to the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call, and Guidance, sai
Paris, Reuters—France has agreed to sell two Mistral helicopter carriers to Egypt for 950 million euros ($1.06 billion) after their sale to Russia was canceled in August, French officials said on Wednesday. Cairo has sought to boost its military power in the face of a two-year insurgency based acros
Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi returned to Aden on Tuesday for the first time since he was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia six months ago. Hadi’s plane arrived from Riyadh under Saudi and Emirati protection, an airport official told Asharq Al-Awsat. Speaking to reporte
