Saudi Arabia

A Saudi Arabian Blackhawk helicopter crashed during military operations in Yemen on Tuesday killing 12 personnel on board. Saudi sources are stating that the cause of the crash was friendly fire. The four officers and eight non-commissioned officers were killed while on a mission to try to force out the dominant Houthi group and restore […]

The UK announced plans on Monday to boost cooperation with Jordan in an effort to tackle Islamic extremism in the region as the first part of a trip that will also include Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Theresa May visited the Jordanian capital city of Amman on Monday as a part of a three-day trip to […]

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday that it supports selling F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain without requiring that the tiny island monarchy in the Persian Gulf first improve its human rights record. The decision to proceed with the sale amounts to an abrupt reversal of an Obama administration decision. Last fall, the State Department […]

The Trump administration is positioning itself to renew sales of precision guided weapon systems to Saudi Arabia, a move originally shelved by the Obama administration. The State Department has left a proposal for the arms sale with the White House for approval. The measure is seen as another form of the Trump administration taking a […]

Tenuous peace negotiations are ongoing between the Assad government and a representative of the Syrian opposition in Geneva, supervised by Russia. Russia is playing head diplomat within the United Nations-backed peace talks, which have had a rocky track record over the past few years. Historically, these peace talks have done nothing to abate the fighting […]

Boys as young as 15 are being recruited to fight in the Yemen Civil War, with promises of financial compensation to their families when they are martyred, according to a report from Amnesty International. The statement was prompted after the families of three boys approached Amnesty International to report that their sons had been actively […]

Recently a reader asked if we could provide an overview of the conflict in Yemen so I thought I would direct our readers towards a handy guide I found.  The European Council on Foreign Relations has put together a guide that covers the historical context, factions, and multiple fronts in what has become a very complex […]

The Jan 30 attack on a Saudi frigate in the Red Sea was carried out by a Houthi remote control ‘drone boat,’ and not a suicide bomber as first reports claimed, according to a senior U.S. Navy official. What was originally reported as a suicide attack was revised following further analysis and assessment by the […]

Forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abrabbuh Mansur Hadi have seized the coastal town of Al-Mokha in Yemen, according to a report by Reuters. The action represents progress for the embattled president and his Gulf Arab allies as the civil war with regional and global implications approaches its second anniversary. Following the Iranian-backed Houthi offensive to […]

Michael Flynn, national security advisor for President Trump, made a statement Wednesday regarding Iran’s recent ballistic missile test, as well as attacks on Saudi naval vessels in the Red Sea. According to Flynn, these acts demonstrate Iran’s continued efforts to increase its aggressive influence within the Arab world. “Recent Iranian actions, including a provocative ballistic missile […]

Saudi Arabia confirmed a Houthi militant attack that killed two Saudi sailors on Monday. “A Saudi frigate on patrol west of the port city of Hodeida was hit by a terrorist attack from three suicide boats belonging to the Houthi militias,” Saudi state media said, according to Reuters. However, the Saudis and Iranian media disagree […]

As another prong in President Donald Trump’s efforts regarding refugees from war-torn nations, he and Saudi Arabian King Salman spoke on the phone earlier this week regarding the establishment of “safe zones” in places like Syria and Yemen. These safe zones, once established, would provide people who would otherwise become refugees with a safe area to […]