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Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh came under attack by Yemen’s Houthi group on Monday night, with the group claiming to have targeted the city’s airport following repeated strikes over the weekend. The Houthis said they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile and also claimed an attack on King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait. A Western official in Riyadh confirmed to Middle East Eye (MEE) that multiple blasts and explosions were heard across the capital, while videos circulating on social media appeared to show large fires. MEE said it could not independently verify the footage. The strikes highlight the widening scope of the war in Yemen and pose a serious challenge to Saudi Arabia’s economic ambitions. The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia come amid rising tensions across the Middle East, with the region facing the possibility of renewed US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that it had attacked a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz as the vessel attempted to leave the waterway. The reported strike would mark the third attack on vessels in the strait in two days. Source: Middle East Eye

Stocks of medicines, fuel and medical supplies in Yemen’s besieged city of Taiz have fallen to critical levels, putting the lives of around 1,110 kidney failure patients and more than 190 people in intensive care at risk, according to the local health office. In a statement, the health office warned of an impending medical catastrophe, saying many lives were hanging in the balance. It called for an end to the siege, the reopening of supply routes and safe passage for patients and humanitarian aid. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has also warned of an “imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe” in Taiz, accusing the Houthi rebels of continuing the siege and obstructing access to essential supplies.  #From Al Jazeera 

Saudi authorities said Sunday that schools in the capital would be online until the end of the week. Meanwhile, the kingdom extended an ongoing airport closure until at least 9 p.m. Sunday, according to Flightradar24. While the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for Saturday's attack, they have acknowledged targeting Saudi airports and oil installations and threatened new attacks on the kingdom's airports. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the group's military spokesman, urged “everyone to take our warnings seriously." The latest attack on the Saudi airport drew condemnations from Arab countries, including Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, as well as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence," Von der Leyen wrote Sunday on X. “They are destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes."  

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections scheduled for next month, delaying the vote until September 11, 2027, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. A decree issued on Friday also scheduled presidential elections for the same day. Palestinians have not held a presidential election for more than two decades. The decision delays what would have been the first Palestinian legislative election in nearly 20 years, leaving established political leaders in power and risking further damage to the Palestinian Authority’s credibility among Palestinians and international donors. The Palestinian Authority, dominated by Abbas’ Fatah party, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank under agreements reached in the 1990s. It has become increasingly unpopular during Abbas’ presidency, with many Palestinians viewing it as corrupt and criticising its security cooperation with Israel. The postponement followed a meeting of senior Palestinian officials to discuss the election. The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, headed by Abbas, said conditions in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza were unsuitable for holding the vote. It also cited Israel’s refusal to allow election materials and international observers into Gaza. The delay had been widely anticipated after Palestinian factions from across the political spectrum met in Cairo to discuss the issue. Islamic Jihad deputy secretary-general Mohammed al-Hindi told The Associated Press earlier this week that the factions had discussed postponing the election. The last Palestinian legislative election was held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority of seats. Israel and Western countries subsequently boycotted the Hamas-led government, fuelling months of unrest that culminated in Hamas taking control of Gaza the following year. Since then, power has remained divided between Hamas in Gaza and Abbas’ Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Violence in the West Bank has escalated in recent years as Israel has expanded settlements and outposts. Settler attacks on Palestinians and Israeli military raids on cities under Palestinian Authority control are regularly reported. A US-brokered ceasefire plan reached last year outlined a possible future role for the Palestinian Authority, but its immediate responsibilities remained largely undefined. Hamas has continued to govern Gaza, while technocrats operating under the Board of Peace have remained in Cairo awaiting permission to enter the territory and oversee a transition of power. Before the postponement, major political factions had not registered candidate lists for the election. Behind the scenes, however, veteran officials had been discussing an alliance to challenge Abbas. An unexpected grouping had emerged involving Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a bloc led by former Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan. Dahlan had previously been driven out of Gaza by Hamas and went into exile in 2010 following a falling-out with Abbas. “Abbas is terrified by the electoral alliance bringing our faction together with opposition factions and forces within Fatah that reject his leadership,” Dimitri Dilliani, a spokesperson for Dahlan’s faction, said in a statement. Abbas has served as president since 2005 and has repeatedly postponed presidential and legislative elections during his tenure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help bring an end to the war in the Middle East during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. “We are ready to do everything that is in our power to contribute to the settlement of this situation,” Putin said at the meeting on Thursday, according to Russia’s TASS news agency. Putin also said Iran had made “real efforts” to end the US-Israel war against Iran. Pezeshkian said Iran would not abandon efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency. “We are engaged in dialogue; however, every time we talk to the US, they launch new attacks. Nevertheless, we will not walk away from the negotiating table,” he said. The Russian and Iranian presidents met in Turkmenistan ahead of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States scheduled to begin on Friday.  #From Al Jazeera

Iraq has rejected a Syrian request to repatriate thousands of suspected Islamic State (IS) members transferred from detention centres in Syria to Iraqi custody earlier this year, a senior Iraqi security official said. Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi said Wednesday that a recent meeting involving Syria, Iraq and the United States discussed the fate of the detainees. He said Syria had requested the transfer of around 4,000 Syrian prisoners to face trial in their home country, but Iraq turned down the request. Iraq has determined that about 400 Syrian detainees were not members of the Islamic State group and could be released, al-Aboudi told The Associated Press. Around 50 have already been repatriated. Hundreds of the Syrians still held in Iraq are believed to be senior members of the extremist group. “Iraq is conducting investigations, and anyone proved to have committed crimes in Iraq will be tried under Iraqi law,” he said. Some prisoners could eventually be transferred to their home countries to serve the remainder of their sentences, he added. Syria did not immediately respond to requests for comment. More than 5,700 prisoners suspected of having links to IS, including around 4,000 Syrians, were transferred from northeastern Syria to Iraq after clashes erupted in January between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which had long guarded the detention centres. Some IS-linked prisoners managed to escape amid the fighting, raising fears of a larger-scale breakout. Although the extremist group has lost control of the territories it seized in Iraq and Syria years ago, its cells continue to carry out sporadic attacks in both countries. Discussions over the detainees' future come as the United States has ended its 12-year mission to combat IS in Iraq, with the last US troops withdrawing from the country last month. Al-Aboudi said Iraq had sought financial assistance from the United States and other members of the global coalition against IS to cover the costs of detaining the prisoners. “Iraq asked for an allocation of $500 million. The coalition promised support, but Iraq is still waiting,” he said. A US defence official and the office of Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria and Iraq, referred questions about the detainees to Iraqi and Syrian authorities. Many of those transferred to Iraq had spent years in detention in Syria without being charged. Rights groups have expressed concerns over detention conditions in both countries. Human Rights Watch said in a report this week that “the Iraqi justice system has a documented history of torture and unlawful executions.” The organisation urged Iraqi authorities to comply with international standards on fair trials and detention and to abolish the death penalty. Al-Aboudi said detainees from countries that do not impose capital punishment would not face the death penalty. Prisoners from countries that have prisoner exchange agreements with Iraq could be sent home to serve their sentences after conviction, he added. Many Western countries, however, have been reluctant to repatriate citizens accused or convicted of having links to IS, as well as women and children believed to be family members of the group's militants.

Several explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Thursday, including a large blast near the city’s international airport, as the kingdom faced fresh attacks a day after authorities reported deadly strikes on two airports. A witness told The Associated Press that fire and ambulance crews were deployed and smoke was seen following the blasts. The cause of the explosions was not immediately known, and no group had claimed responsibility. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was “closed again,” flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said in a post on X, reporting that the last landing was more than 80 minutes earlier and the last takeoff more than 90 minutes earlier. The witness, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said outgoing flights had been halted and passengers were told to leave their checked-in luggage behind and evacuate the airport. The extent of the flight disruptions was not immediately known. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The explosions had an immediate impact on financial markets and oil prices, with crude prices rising sharply. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen have repeatedly claimed attacks on airports, military installations and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in recent days. On Wednesday, Saudi officials said attacks claimed by the Houthis on two airports had killed three people and wounded dozens of others. A strike on King Khalid airport killed a Sudanese national and injured eight people, while another attack on Abha airport killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and wounded 28 others, officials said. The attacks have heightened concerns over Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, as the kingdom becomes increasingly involved in the latest front of the Iran war. Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air offensive to retake territory seized by the Houthis a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis’ presence in the strategic waterway threatens an important alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has been reduced amid the Iran war. Also Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, said coalition forces had destroyed a platform in the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa that had been used to launch attacks on Riyadh.

At least three people were killed and dozens injured in Houthi attacks on two international airports in Saudi Arabia, including one in the capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said in a statement Wednesday that Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were targeted in attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. An Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at the airport in Riyadh, the authority said. A total of 36 people were wounded in the attacks. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of attacks, including a ballistic missile strike targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The conflict is increasingly drawing in other regional powers. Pakistan and Turkey agreed Tuesday to activate the Mecca Pact, a joint defence agreement they signed with Saudi Arabia in August. Middle East Eye reported Tuesday that Turkey is sending troops and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the kingdom's infrastructure. Pakistan also confirmed in an interview with CNN that it is deploying troops to Saudi Arabia under the pact. At least 200,000 displaced Saudi Arabia is also intensifying its strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in support of Yemen's internationally recognised government, as it seeks to reverse Houthi advances. Heavy fighting is underway between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthis along Yemen's Red Sea coastline and around the city of Taiz. More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the conflict, the United Nations said Wednesday. Earlier this week, Yemen's internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive to retake Red Sea coastal areas seized by the Houthis last month. The Yemeni government said Sunday that the broader objective of the campaign is to retake all territory it has lost to the Houthis during 12 years of war. The front lines have shifted rapidly, while images of intense fighting have emerged on social media. Several videos appeared to show fighters in an armoured vehicle from the Giants Brigade, which is aligned with Saudi Arabia and Yemen's government, firing on unarmed men and people who were surrendering on a beach. Yemen's government said Tuesday that it had recaptured the Arabian Gulf side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Mocha, the strategic Red Sea port city that the Houthis seized from government forces in September. Houthi channels have denied that Mocha has been recaptured, posting videos purportedly showing their fighters inside the city. Other reports and open-source information appeared to support the Houthi claim, indicating that fighting around the port city has largely involved long-range missile exchanges and that Mocha remains under Houthi control.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday claimed missile and drone attacks on airports and military facilities in Saudi Arabia and Yemen as fighting intensifies in the region. Houthi spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said ballistic missiles and drones targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted a missile north of the capital. Flights were briefly disrupted. The Houthis also claimed attacks on Abha airport and military sites in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces have launched a major offensive to retake Houthi-held territory along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping route. The escalation has revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced in the latest fighting, according to the UN. The Houthis also claimed a missile attack on Aden airport early Wednesday. Yemeni authorities said two missiles targeted the airport but caused no casualties. A Cairo-Aden flight landed safely shortly afterward.

Two ballistic missiles struck an area near Aden International Airport. Initial reports said one of the missiles targeted a Saudi-led coalition unit at the Badr Centre, although this has not been confirmed. The missiles were likely launched from neighboring governorates controlled by the Houthi group. Local witnesses said the second missile landed near the airport runway. The explosions were heard as far as the outskirts of Aden, followed by the sound of interceptor fire.  #From Al Jazeera