Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi-led airstrikes against the Iran-backed Shi’ite Houthi movement in Yemen have successfully cut off air supply lines to the movement from Tehran, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday. In his daily briefing on the progress of the air assaults—dubbed Operati
Baghdad, AP—Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says a US drone strike has killed two of its advisers in Iraq, though the US said on Monday it has only struck militants in its campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. The claim came as negotiators on Monday attemp
Following the ouster of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011, I visited Yemen twice, with my last visit coming just over three months ago. During those visits I always noticed his old pictures, still hanging in Sana’a, though some had been ripped up and damaged, others their colors fad
Sharm El-Sheikh, Asharq Al-Awsat—As Iraq continues its operations to retake the city of Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and begins preparations for a long-awaited assault on Mosul, which is also under the control of the terrorist group, the Baghdad government finds itsel
Berlin, Reuters—The co-pilot suspected of crashing a passenger jet in the Alps may have been suffering from a detached retina but investigators are unsure whether his vision problems had physical or psychological causes, a German newspaper said on Sunday. Bild am Sonntag also reported how the captai
Tunis, AP—Tens of thousands of Tunisians from across the political spectrum marched through the capital Sunday to denounce extremist violence after a deadly museum attack on foreign tourists. Hours ahead of the rally, security forces killed nine terrorist suspects in raids around the country. French
Sharm El-Sheikh, Reuters—Arab leaders at a summit in Egypt announced the formation of a unified military force to counter growing security threats from Yemen to Libya and as regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran engage in sectarian proxy wars. Working out the mechanism and logistics of the uni
“At this time, when we did not wish to take this decision [the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen], we wish to emphasize that Riyadh is still leaving the door open to all Yemeni political factions still willing to protect the country’s security and stability.” It was in this manner, during his speech on S
The extent of regional and international concern over the war in Yemen has exceeded expectations. Anxious governments and international institutions have frankly expressed their views on the events. Most of them have voiced their understanding of the importance of protecting the Yemeni government, w
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia has reinstated its ambassador to Sweden after receiving an apology from Stockholm following the recent diplomatic crisis between the two kingdoms. Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a letter from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf in which the Swed
Abuja, Nigeria, AP—Nigerians turned out en masse to vote in a presidential election Saturday that analysts say is too close to call between President Goodluck Jonathan and former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari. A car bomb exploded at a polling station in south-central Enugu state but police said
Sharm El-Sheikh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has vowed that the military intervention in Yemen will continue until the country is stable and safe. In comments earlier today at the Arab League summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said: “Operation
Aden, Reuters—Saudi-led air forces struck a convoy of Yemeni Houthi fighters advancing on Aden from the east on Saturday, residents said, and the Saudi navy evacuated diplomats from the southern port city. The Iranian-allied Shi’ite Muslim Houthi fighters, seeking to overthrow the Western- and
There is nothing strange in Iran and its allies being the only ones who are standing with the Houthis, while it is the rest of the world that is standing against their rebellion and coup in Yemen. Those who fall within Tehran’s sphere of influence—whether individuals or groups or states—
So, we have passed “Zero Hour” and the official start of the war against the Houthis in Yemen. This is a war that is taking place with Arab and Gulf participation and amid huge international support. The world united, finally, to support legitimacy in Yemen, standing as one to save Yemen and end the
Baghdad, AP—Iraq’s most revered Shi’ite cleric on Friday called for unity among the country’s forces battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group after most of the Iran-backed Shi’ite militias pulled out of the offensive in the militant-held city of Tikrit in pro
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz made a series of phone calls to regional leaders on Thursday evening to discuss the ongoing military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The Custodian of the Two Hol
Sana’a, AP—Saudi Arabia bombed the northern stronghold of Yemen’s Shi’ite rebels and key military installations on Friday as a coalition led by the Gulf kingdom carried out airstrikes for a second day. The strikes hit at least six provinces, including an eastern area rich in oil an
Montabaur, Germany, Reuters—The German pilot believed to have deliberately crashed a plane in the French Alps killing 150 people broke off his training six years ago due to depression and spent over a year in psychiatric treatment, a German newspaper reported on Friday. The story in German tabloid B
Almost three months after terrorist attacks shook Paris, France is still uncertain about what hit it and how to cope with what many see as a perennial threat. As is often the case in France, some analysts have tried to blame society—a convenient abstraction—for what happened. That three
