Middle East

ADEN, Yemen, Oct 4 – Yemen’s internationally recognized government has announced a major military offensive aimed at taking back territory held by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, opening a potentially significant new phase in the country’s long-running war. President Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), said in a televised address on Sunday that … Read more

DUBAI/TEL AVIV, Oct 3 – An Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain with an axe aboard an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight had previously been removed from flying duties at Oman Air over concerns about alleged extremist views, according to officials familiar with the investigation. The revelations have raised questions about airline recruitment procedures, the sharing … Read more

Oct 1 – The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi movement said Thursday that the group had attacked a power distribution station in Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. According to the coalition, the attack took place Tuesday and damaged one transformer at the facility. It said the transformer … Read more

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct 1 – The motive behind an attack inside the cockpit of a FlyDubai passenger jet remains unclear as investigators examine how a flight bound for Israel descended thousands of feet in less than a minute before making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was carrying 174 … Read more

TABUK, Saudi Arabia, Sept 30 – A routine commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a frightening struggle in the air Wednesday after the two pilots became involved in a violent confrontation inside the cockpit. The FlyDubai aircraft, carrying about 170 passengers, was forced to make a dramatic emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia … Read more

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept 30 – A Flydubai passenger flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to divert to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after an altercation broke out between members of the cockpit crew, according to Israeli and regional officials familiar with the incident. The aircraft, carrying dozens of Israeli passengers, landed safely … Read more

BAGHDAD, Sept 29 – The United States is preparing to complete the withdrawal of its remaining military forces from Iraq, bringing an end to more than two decades of American military involvement in a country that became one of the most consequential battlefields of the post-9/11 era. US forces are expected to leave their last … Read more

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26 – Iran was waiting Saturday for a formal response from Washington after The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected a proposal from Tehran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting fighting across the wider Middle East. The proposal, presented by Iranian officials during the United … Read more

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 23 – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to portray Iran as the victim of the nearly seven-month war with the United States and Israel, rejecting accusations that Tehran is responsible for terrorism and saying his country had acted in self-defense. Pezeshkian’s appearance … Read more