Saudi Arabia Is Being Pulled Back Into Yemen’s War
Saudi Arabia spent years trying to extract itself from the war in Yemen. That strategy is now under mounting pressure.Since mid-July, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have resumed attacks on Saudi territory and shipping, declared a naval blockade against the kingdom and targeted oil infrastructure along the Red Sea coast. Forces aligned with Saudi Arabia have struck Houthi positions inside Yemen, while both sides have reportedly mobilized along front lines largely frozen since the 2022 truce. Reuters described Yemen last week as edging toward renewed war.The U.N.-brokered truce halted most major Saudi-Houthi fighting in 2022. Although it formally expired that October, large-scale cross-border warfare did not resume, and subsequent Saudi engagement with the Houthis focused on preventing another open conflict. The wider Iran war is now eroding that relative calm.The confrontation intensified on July 20, when the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. Days later, the group claimed attacks on…
Iran Rejects Oman’s Hormuz Strait Plan
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Oman's proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, saying on Iranian state television that it failed to address Tehran's security concerns, according to IranWire. Oman had proposed splitting the shipping lane evenly, with half under Iranian control and half under Omani control; Tehran deemed this insufficient and submitted a counter-proposal for a single route running mainly through Iranian waters, with sections of both the inbound and outbound lanes under Iranian control. Gharibabadi added that Iran's policy is to ensure the strait "never returns to its pre-war state," and warned that any European warship approaching the waterway would be treated as a legitimate target. He also said Oman had proposed letting a third country handle mine-clearing operations in the strait's southern section, a proposal Iran likewise rejected.Oman's Foreign Ministry, in a statement reported by Al Jazeera, confirmed that deputy-level talks took place…
US Intercepts Iranian Missiles Fired at Jordan Base
Jordan's air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, hours after US Central Command downed a separate ballistic barrage aimed at American forces, shattering a days-long pause, the Associated Press reported. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and CENTCOM's Jordan headquarters.Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 members were killed and 32 wounded when the US and Saudi Arabia struck its sites across seven provinces, CNN reported, noting it was the first time Riyadh had claimed strikes inside Iraq.The strike was Iran's first ballistic missile launch at US targets since Trump paused strikes Friday, following an earlier attack on the same base that, according to Axios, killed two US service members and triggered a 13-night US campaign.Analysts Jonathan Hackett and Zaid Eyadat told The National that repeated Iranian strikes on Jordan's bases, astride Iran's most direct flight path into Israel, fit the…
Ukraine Hits Wildberries Hub in Massive Ryazan Drone Attack
A massive Ukrainian drone attack struck Russia's Ryazan region early Wednesday, setting a Wildberries logistics center ablaze and reportedly hitting the Rosneft-operated Ryazan Oil Refinery.Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed a large attack and fires at industrial sites, saying six people were hospitalized. He attributed the fires to falling drone debris without identifying the facilities affected. Russian regional authorities have repeatedly used similar language after Ukrainian drone attacks, including when fires have broken out at apparent targets.Wildberries restricted access to its Ryazan warehouse. The Kyiv Independent reported explosions and fire at the refinery, though damage there remained unconfirmed at publication.Ryazan extends a campaign that has damaged at least seven Wildberries warehouses in recent days, destroying around 10% of the company's storage capacity, according to Reuters.Ukraine says the Wildberries network supports Russia's war effort. After earlier strikes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said targeted facilities were involved in supplying Russian forces with drone components, navigation…
Iran Turns to Chinese Missiles for Air Defense
Iran is preparing to receive 300 to 400 Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), including QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters. First deliveries could arrive within weeks.The reported purchase comes as Tehran rebuilds an air-defense network degraded by months of U.S. and Israeli strikes. Iranian defenses have relied on larger radar-guided systems alongside mobile short-range weapons, but MANPADS would add a more dispersed layer against low-flying aircraft and drones. Their portability and infrared guidance allow small teams to operate without the fixed infrastructure and radar emissions associated with larger surface-to-air missile batteries.The contract, valued at $60–70 million, was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-registered intermediary, according to Reuters. The planned initial shipments would reportedly travel overland from Urumqi in western China through Pakistan to Iran.China's Foreign Ministry called the report “completely groundless” and said Beijing had consistently worked to promote peace and…
U.S. and Saudi Arabia Strike Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq
The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated airstrikes against Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq on July 28, widening the regional war after repeated drone attacks targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and U.S. forces.U.S. Central Command said the operation hit logistics and weapons sites belonging to groups it accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of directing against Saudi and American targets. Saudi Arabia said the strikes followed drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh.Iran denied involvement, while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for Iran-aligned armed factions, rejected Saudi accusations and warned of retaliation.The operation marks a significant shift for Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has spent months intercepting Iranian missiles and drones targeting its territory, but striking targets inside Iraq moves the kingdom from air defense into direct offensive action against Iran-aligned forces beyond its borders.Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said eight…
