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The Geopolitical Balance in the Red Sea: The UAE Being Displaced by New Players

By Samyar Rostami – New Eastern Outlook – September 26, 2026

The persistence of current geopolitical alignments, the attention of Eastern actors to the region, the strengthening of Sanaa’s position in the Red Sea, and the expansion of regional opposition to the UAE’s role will diminish Abu Dhabi’s role in the region.

For the past ten years, the Southern Red Sea has been a pivotal factor in the UAE’s foreign policy. Over the past decade, the UAE has built a layered maritime, air, and commercial infrastructure network, including military bases, in the Red Sea or near Yemen, Somaliland, Somalia and Sudan, starting from 2015.

According to some estimates, the value of UAE investments along Africa’s coastal regions and the Arabian Peninsula amounts to $60 billion.

In September 2015, the UAE established its first military base in Africa, in Eritrea. These bases possessed strategic advantages: the ‘protection of interests’ and control over the security and economic architecture of international maritime routes.

With the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, cooperation between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi in the Red Sea intensified.

The UAE’s approach—channeled through companies such as DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports—is centered on controlling ports, strategic waterways, military bases, and key trade and energy routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in coordination with the United States and its allies. Abu Dhabi’s approach also included engagement with non-state armed actors and separatist movements in Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia.

Factors Behind the UAE’s Diminishing Role

Over the past decade, the UAE emerged as a party to the conflicts in the southern Red Sea. However, geopolitical developments over the past year signal a gradual decline in the UAE’s role in the southern Red Sea.

Several factors are also significant, stemming from US and Israeli military strikes against Iran, the war between Sanaa and Saudi Arabia, Saudi-Emirati rivalry in the region, and disputes among African states.

Sudan’s value lies in its geopolitics. With 853 kilometres of coastline and several key ports, Sudan constitutes a vital link in the Red Sea.

The Sudan war since April 2023 has created conditions for the expansion of the UAE’s role. The UAE faces accusations of providing training and logistical support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Human rights and political demands against the UAE has increased.

The UAE also maintains bases inside Sudanese territory. However, the ongoing war in Sudan and the support of allies for the Sudanese government have led to increased pressure on the UAE.

Riyadh regards the Red Sea as part of its strategic interests and its exclusive backyard. Abu Dhabi and Riyadh each view the other as a direct threat to their position and interests in parts of the southern Red Sea. Thus, the reduction of the UAE’s footprint in the southern Red Sea constitutes a strategic gain for Riyadh. Riyadh has effectively sought to weaken Abu Dhabi’s role.

In late 2025, Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) resulted in pressure being brought to bear on UAE-backed forces.

In July 2026, Saudi Arabia hosted talks among 14 countries—including Egypt, Djibouti, Sudan, and Somalia—which established a multinational maritime defence alliance. The UAE and Ethiopia were excluded from the list.

The formation of a Riyadh-led Red Sea maritime task force—with the participation of Turkey, Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, and Eritrea—without coordination with the UAE amounts to a further constriction of the UAE’s role in the region.

Despite ongoing Egyptian–Emirati consultations on guaranteeing maritime navigation security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, Egypt’s foreign policy is not aligned with the UAE’s interests in Sudan and the Red Sea. Additionally, the alignment and coordination among Israel, India, the UAE, and Ethiopia are not particularly consonant with Egypt’s interests in Ethiopia and the Red Sea.

Until last September, the UAE played a significant role in the southern Yemeni islands of the Red Sea and in southwestern Yemen. However, Sanaa’s advance in the eastern Red Sea—the port of Mokha, Mayun Island, and other archipelagos north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait—in September 2026 inflicted negative and fundamental consequences on the UAE’s regional role.

Sanaa’s advance amounts to the nullification of the presence of Emirati actors in Yemen’s future political sphere. Sanaa is seeking to consolidate itself as a strategic “node” within the Iran-led Axis of Resistance.

Despite Cairo’s opposition to Sanaa’s proposal for maritime navigation coordination in the Red Sea, Sanaa—having secured control over the most important islands and cities overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait on the Yemeni side—is calling for the formulation of new rules to ensure security and navigation in the region. Ansar Allah’s control over Bab al-Mandab could put the UAE under pressure. Any expansion of Sanaa’s role in Sudan could likewise prove detrimental to the UAE.

Amid tensions between the United States and Iran, Abu Dhabi finds itself facing a more constrained strategic space.

The UAE’s alignment with the United States is, in a sense, also an intensification of Abu Dhabi’s tensions with Iran in areas such as the Red Sea. Unlike the UAE, Iran is seeking better relations with the Sudanese government. Many in Iran believe that Israel and the UAE are devising an economic and geopolitical plan to control the vital routes of the Red Sea and Yemen’s ports.

With Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, many in the countries of the southern Red Sea have linked it to the UAE.

After years, Eritrea revoked the UAE’s access to its military infrastructure. Eritrean officials have recently made sharp statements about the UAE and Israel—particularly regarding Tel Aviv’s recognition of Somaliland.

Eritrea is providing frontline support to the Sudanese Armed Forces. Any deeper alliance between Eritrea and Sudan, Iran, Russia, China, and Sanaa could diminish the UAE’s regional role in the Red Sea. Additionally, some countries and actors near the Red Sea also hold a negative view of the UAE’s regional role.

The Somali government’s decision in January 2026 to sever relations with the UAE is, in a sense, a counter to the UAE’s role in the Somaliland and Puntland regions. Somalia has revoked all agreements with the UAE, including cooperation as well as security and defence arrangements. This move has negative implications for the UAE’s role in the southern Red Sea.

Moreover, the southern Red Sea plays a pivotal role in the regional strategy of Russia and Beijing. For example, apart from China’s role in Djibouti, Beijing is Eritrea’s principal creditor and has expanded its influence in Sudan.

The developments of the past year have also contributed to a decline in the standing of the UAE’s allies in the region.

Outlook

The US presence in the Red Sea’s African states is rooted in counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations.

The European Union’s presence in the region, via Operation ASPIDES, is limited to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Despite the UAE’s formal withdrawal from some bases, its economic and security influence, as well as its soft-power instruments, remain strong.

A decrease in UAE military deployments in the region could negatively impact its support for allies in Yemen, Libya, and Sudan.

The UAE continues to have significant economic potential, secure partnerships, and influence in the southern Red Sea. In a way, this is considered a threat and a risk to certain African nations in the Red Sea region.

Certainly, a more extensive Sanaa presence over Bab al-Mandab, strategic coasts, and islands could confront Abu Dhabi’s maneuver and role in the southern Red Sea with a structural challenge.

The UAE’s approach in ports, logistics, energy, and other strategic infrastructure—along with deeper defense and security coordination with the West in the southern Red Sea—is likely to continue. However, the expansion of the UAE’s role also requires an extensive US presence in the Red Sea.

Moreover, the persistence of current geopolitical alignments, the attention of Eastern actors to the region, the strengthening of Sanaa’s position in the Red Sea, and the expansion of regional opposition to the UAE’s role will diminish Abu Dhabi’s role in the region.

Samyar Rostami is а political observer and senior researcher in international relations.

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September 26, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Geopolitical Balance in the Red Sea: The UAE Being Displaced by New Players

Senate Rejects Iran War Powers Resolution Passed By House

By Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute | September 24, 2026

The Senate narrowly voted to reject legislation that would require President Donald Trump to end the war against Iran.

The Senate voted against the War Powers resolution 49-50 on Thursday, largely along party lines. Republican Senators Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Lisa Murkowski all voted for the legislation with nearly all Democrats. The only Democratic senator to vote against the War Powers resolution was John Fetterman.

The resolution would have required Trump to end the war against Iran. It directs the President to “remove the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, including potential ground forces in a combat role or used for occupation, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran.”

The House passed the legislation, H.Con.Res.89, in July. Earlier this month, the House passed a separate War Powers resolution, H. Con. Res. 93, 220-204, with seven Republicans joining nearly all Democrats to pass the legislation.

Even if the legislation had passed the Senate, Trump likely would have vetoed it. In 2019, Trump vetoed a War Powers resolution directing him to withdraw US support for Saudi Arabia’s war against Ansar Allah in Yemen.

Congress has not passed any authorization for the US to wage war against Iran, making the conflict unconstitutional. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for waging an undeclared war.

“By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable,” said Massie when he introduced the articles of impeachment. “Secretary Hegseth’s constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran. He is abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration by retaliating against them for exercising free speech.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the lower chamber for the midterm recess early, delaying the vote on Massie’s articles of impeachment.

September 24, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , | Comments Off on Senate Rejects Iran War Powers Resolution Passed By House

Trita Parsi: Middle East Unraveling — Are We on the Path to World War?

Glenn Diesen | September 22, 2026

Trita Parsi is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Follow his excellent Substack: https://tritaparsi.substack.com/

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September 22, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Video, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trita Parsi: Middle East Unraveling — Are We on the Path to World War?

Italy to move military personnel from Taif base after missile strike

Al Mayadeen | September 22, 2026

The Italian government has decided to relocate a significant portion of its military personnel from an airbase in Taif, Saudi Arabia, following a missile strike that hit an Italian Eurofighter fighter jet stationed at the facility, the Italian newspaper Messaggero reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

The move concerns personnel from the Italian Task Force Air Arabia, which operates from the Taif airbase. The Italian contingent stationed there is estimated to number around 500 personnel.

The relocation is being described as a “restructuring” of Italy’s military deployment, rather than a complete withdrawal from the base, according to the report.

A significant portion of the Italian military personnel will be moved to a safer facility, which is also likely to be located in Saudi Arabia. The Taif airbase will not be left without operational coverage, with continuity of activities set to be maintained in line with Italy’s international obligations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto decided to strengthen security measures for the country’s military personnel after a missile struck an Italian Eurofighter stationed at the base overnight into Friday, Messaggero reported.

Is Italy backtracking on its plans? 

Only a few days ago, Italy was preparing to deploy up to four naval vessels, including frigates, to secure passage for its merchant fleet through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported, citing sources.

Crosetto reportedly told EU foreign affairs and security chief Kaja Kallas in a letter that “the need to adopt effective and timely decisions” was urgent to prevent further disruption to maritime traffic through the strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Rome said it is prepared to act independently if other European Union member states do not move to reinforce the bloc’s Aspides maritime mission, though it expects to share the financial burden with fellow EU states if others step up.

The latest escalation was initiated by Saudi Arabia when it bombed Sanaa International Airport, while continuing the years-long siege imposed on Yemen. Sanaa had repeatedly demanded an end to the blockade and the reopening of the airport before launching its current counteroffensive.

Yesterday, Yemen’s national negotiating delegation held Saudi Arabia responsible for refusing to lift the blockade imposed on the country’s airports and ports, the Yemeni SABA news agency reported, citing an informed source.

September 22, 2026 Posted by | Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on Italy to move military personnel from Taif base after missile strike

Seyed M. Marandi: U.S. Strike Imminent – Toward Total War in the Middle East

Glenn Diesen | September 20, 2026

Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran’s nuclear negotiation team. Marandi argues we could be days or hour away from a major war between the US and Iran, which could engulf the entire region.

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September 20, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Video, Wars for Israel | , , , , , | Comments Off on Seyed M. Marandi: U.S. Strike Imminent – Toward Total War in the Middle East

Russia Voted Under Fire. Washington Is Loading the Tankers.

By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | September 20, 2026

Two things happened this weekend that belong in the same frame, though you will not see them connected anywhere in the Western press. Russia held a national election under a hail of drones and cyberattacks — and came through it. And overnight, the United States began signaling that it is about to widen the war in the Middle East. They are not separate stories. The same barrage that tried to break the Russian vote also tore a piece out of Russia’s refining capacity, and that connects directly to the fuel crisis Washington is about to make worse. Take them in order.

An election under attack

Russians voted over three days, September 18 through 20, to seat the ninth convocation of the State Duma, their national legislature — all 450 seats. What made the final day extraordinary was the effort, backed by the West, to disrupt it by force.

Overnight, Ukraine launched the largest drone assault of the war. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that air defenses brought down more than 1,600 drones across Russia since Saturday, roughly 450 of them bound for the capital region; the Russian Defense Ministry put the single-night intercept figure at 1,110, the highest it has ever reported. I will be candid: I woke up Sunday morning with no idea any of it had happened. The overwhelming majority were destroyed well before they reached Moscow. A handful got through — two people were killed and about twenty injured in the Moscow region. For those who lost their lives, and for their families, it is a tragedy. But set it against the scale: some seventeen million people live in the Moscow region, and their day went on. Then, through the voting hours, came waves of cyberattacks on the electronic voting system — another attempt to break the election that failed to break it.

Now the numbers that matter. Official turnout, per the Central Election Commission, came in around 56.7 percent over the three days. Ten parties qualified for the ballot. And in the four newly constituted republics — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson — turnout ran dramatically higher than the national figure, despite those regions being under active attack. People who face drones on their way to the polling station and vote anyway are telling you something about how much the franchise means to them.

The election was watched by international observers — independent-minded people, some of them frankly sympathetic to Gennady Zyuganov’s Communists, no friends of the ruling party. I spoke with several. Their verdict was the same: this was a free and fair election. I saw nothing to contradict it — no signs going up and being torn down, no one dragged away for campaigning.

Now, I know exactly what the Western press will wave in reply, so let me meet it head-on. Yes: the Supreme Court struck the federal list of Yabloko, the one small party that campaigned against the war, and Boris Nadezhdin was kept off the ballot and has since left the country. Those are the two names you will hear over and over as proof that the whole exercise was theater. It is not much of a case. Yabloko has polled below the five-percent threshold for the better part of two decades; the position it staked out — abandoning the four republics and the men fighting for them — is one almost no Russian holds. Excluding a marginal faction that stands where the West stands is not the same thing as crushing dissent, and it does not turn a three-day, ten-party election with 56.7 percent turnout into a fraud. The real spectrum of Russian politics does not run from pro-war to anti-war. It runs from those who support the special military operation to those who want it fought harder — and inside that spectrum the parties went at each other in the open, and the observers, including men who would sooner see a Communist in the Kremlin, judged the contest fair. On the evidence in front of me, the endless claim that Putin simply crushes all opposition is a fabrication.

Here is what the West consistently misreads. Russia’s parties argue fiercely about domestic policy — income inequality, taxes, education, health care, the ordinary business of any democracy. But on foreign policy they are united, something on the order of 95 percent behind the President and the special military operation. If the ruling bloc’s share slips, it will not be because Russians want the war to end. It will be because they want it prosecuted harder. That is the opposite of the war-weariness Western capitals keep predicting.

The refinery, and the squeeze

Here is the hinge the Western coverage misses entirely. In that same overnight barrage, a drone reached the Gazprom Neft refinery on Moscow’s southeastern edge — a plant that processes on the order of 245,000 barrels a day and supplies fuel to the capital region — and set it ablaze. Strip away the election framing for a moment and look at what that means for the world’s fuel balance. Every refinery knocked offline, in Russia or in the Gulf, tightens the same global distillate market. Ukraine, prodded and supplied by the West, is not only trying to break a Russian election; it is degrading Russian refining capacity at the precise moment the world can least afford to lose a barrel of diesel or jet fuel. That is the thread running straight into the second half of this story.

Washington reaches for the matches

The second development arrived overnight as well, and it points the other direction — toward escalation.

Late Saturday, September 19, the State Department sharpened its travel guidance, telling Americans outside the Middle East to seriously reconsider any travel to or through the region and warning those already there to brace for airspace closures and canceled flights. That advisory is confirmed and public. Alongside it came reports — which I have not been able to independently confirm, so I flag them as reports — that personnel manning Central Command’s operations centers are being recalled to duty, and that aerial refueling tankers are up and flying over the region. Anyone who has watched these sequences knows what airborne tankers usually precede.

The open question is the target. It could be Yemen and the Houthis — Ansar Allah — who have been trading strikes with Saudi Arabia and just put a plume of black smoke over Riyadh’s King Khalid airport. It could be Iran. It could be both. I cannot rule out any of the three. As I write this Sunday night, there is no sign that strikes are actually under way. So we will learn soon enough whether this is saber-rattling or whether Donald Trump means to escalate.

What we already know is that the global diesel and distillate crisis is getting worse, not better, and nothing on the horizon reverses it. The EIA now expects U.S. distillate inventories to sit below the five-year low through much of 2027; industry veterans reckon the world has lost something like seven million barrels a day of refining capacity to this year’s fighting. Last night’s strike on the Moscow refinery subtracts a little more. This is the box Trump has built for himself. He wants gasoline and diesel cheaper and inflation tamed — and every move he has made around the Persian Gulf, Iran, the Gulf states and now the Houthis guarantees tension stays high and the distillate squeeze stays on.

The market has been whipsawing on every on-again, off-again ceasefire rumor; crude actually eased into Friday’s close, near $104 Brent, on hopes that Saudi Arabia could restore pipeline flows. But if fresh American strikes land this week, expect that to reverse hard — crude spiking, equities selling off, the pump price and the diesel crack climbing right back up. These signals went out on a Sunday evening. Come Monday morning in New York, the odds favor a market moving the wrong way for a President who says he wants the opposite.

So that is where we stand. Trump, for all his talk of ending wars and lowering prices, keeps doing the one thing that makes both harder: pouring fuel on the fire. I will have more once the real shape of the Russian result is clear and once we know whether the tankers meant anything.

For now, the democracy that is Russia did more than survive this weekend. It was attacked, and it voted anyway. Thanks for reading.

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September 20, 2026 Posted by | Economics, Militarism | , , , , , | Comments Off on Russia Voted Under Fire. Washington Is Loading the Tankers.

Yemeni army claims responsibility for strikes on sensitive sites in Saudi capital, Aramco facilities in Yanbu

Press TV – September 19, 2026

Yemeni armed forces have claimed responsibility for two separate missile and drone attacks on strategic installations deep inside Saudi Arabia in retaliation for Riyadh’s smear campaign and ongoing acts of aggression against the Arab Peninsula nation.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for Yemen’s military, announced in a statement on Saturday that Yemeni army units had targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu port city on the Red Sea coast.

He added that both operations, involving swarms of homegrown ballistic and cruise missiles as well as combat drones, were successful and caused massive blazes at the impact sites.

Saree noted that the attacks were in reprisal for Saudi Arabia’s unsubstantiated allegations of an attempted drone attack near the city of Mecca, and an unrelenting onslaught against the Yemeni nation.

The drone and missile operations were also in response to the Saudi enemy’s vile attempts to target the Yemeni capital Sana’a through tactics once employed by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group. The tactics included indiscriminate shootings and bombings targeting civilians, he added.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces added that F-15SA and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) have so far carried out 732 airstrikes across Yemen, inflicting heavy civilian casualties and destroying critical non-military infrastructure.

Saree also vehemently denied Saudi officials’ claims that Yemeni armed forces are targeting residential neighborhoods, stressing that such baseless assertions come in light of the miserable failure of Saudi air defense systems to intercept Yemeni drones and missiles.

“Yemeni army units will uphold the siege-for-siege and escalation-for-escalation equation, and will target Saudi military buildups until the aggression ceases and the siege on our beloved country is completely lifted,” the Yemeni military spokesperson concluded.

The Sana’a administration declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, in response to “an unfair and tyrannical siege” on Yemen lasting nearly 12 years.

The Yemeni military has announced a number of successful operations aimed at ships linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen and launched a sweeping military campaign, backed by military, political, and logistical support from the United States and several Western countries.

The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis. However, Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its stated objective of reinstating a puppet regime that serves its interests.

September 19, 2026 Posted by | Wars for Israel | , | Comments Off on Yemeni army claims responsibility for strikes on sensitive sites in Saudi capital, Aramco facilities in Yanbu

Saudi crown prince seeks dialogue with Ansarullah after Yemeni blows: Report

Press TV – September 18, 2026

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called for temporary ceasefire and dialogue with Yemen’s Ansaraullah resistance movement, amid crippling Yemeni blockade and painful strikes on the kingdom, a report says.

Lebanon’s al-Akhbar news website, citing informed sources, reported that Riyadh has asked Oman to convey to Ansarullah its proposal for a two-week ceasefire and direct talks with the movement’s leadership with the aim of “addressing humanitarian demands” and ultimately “reaching a comprehensive agreement by the end of the truce.”

According to the report, the kingdom expressed its willingness to lift the siege on Yemen and allow the entry of aid into the country.

However, the report said, Ansarullah seeks “a final and comprehensive solution to the conflict, on the basis that there is a Yemeni-Saudi battle that has nothing to do with internal Yemeni affairs.”

The sources stressed that the resistance movement’s demands include an end to the blockade in all its forms: aerial, ground and naval, as well as Saudi Arabia’s military, security and political withdrawal from Yemen, and Saudi compensation for damage caused by the kingdom’s strikes.

Ansarullah had previously informed Muscat that the Saudi proposal to sponsor an intra-Yemeni dialogue was unacceptable, as it constituted foreign interference, stressing that the Yemeni dialogue is an internal affair in which no one has the right to interfere.

Al-Akhbar noted that the Saudi proposal came as the kingdom was “shocked” by the rapid advance of the Yemeni military and Ansarullah fighters along the Western coast and their control of Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the failure of Riyadh’s calls for aid to be heeded.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reportedly briefed the Saudis on an assessment indicating a “sudden disintegration” within the mercenary force led by Tariq Saleh, noting that “Sanaa’s forces appeared fully apprised of every move made by Saleh and his troops.”

A source familiar with the matter said the US stance is “akin to a reprimand of Saudi Arabia over the conduct of its allied forces,” coupled with an emphasis that “the United States would not deploy its own forces to fight on anyone’s behalf.”

The Saudi retreat also comes as the idea of ​​recruiting mercenaries from Syria, Libya, and Sudan to fight in Yemen has also failed to gain traction, according to the report.

Ben Salman was also advised by Egyptian officials, who surprised him by a historical overview of the situation in Yemen during his visit to Cairo, to hold talks with Ansarullah.

The outlet also noted that bin Salman is monitoring with concern reports that officials from the US administration have informed Omani officials of Washington’s desire to hold talks with Ansarullah to ensure that the Bab al-Mandab Strait would not be closed.

According to an Omani source, communications between officials in Muscat and Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for Ansarullah and Yemen’s chief negotiator, stressed that the Sana’a government “has no intention of taking any measures that would jeopardize navigation in the Red Sea.”

The Omani mediator informed the US and Saudi Arabia that Ansarullah had clearly stated that maritime navigation in the Red Sea is safe, except for Saudi ships. The group also stressed the ban would remain in effect until Riyadh practically lifts the blockade on Yemen.

Several countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have reportedly been communicating with Yemeni and Ansarullah officials for a week with the aim of stopping the country’s military operations.

The report quoted a relevant source in Muscat as saying that diplomatic efforts to persuade Riyadh to back away from its rigid stance began after all mediating parties have realized that the movement is determined to find a “final” solution to the current situation.

Yemeni armed forces continue to consolidate their positions along the Western coast, taking additional measures to counter any attempt by Saudi-backed mercenaries to make up for their losses.

Senior Ansarullah officials have informed mediators that continued Saudi airstrikes on Yemen will be met with significant escalation, including more heavy strikes against vital facilities deep inside the Kingdom.

The current maritime blockade is a direct response to the devastating, years-long siege imposed on Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

For nearly a decade, the coalition has enforced a crippling land, sea, and air blockade, which the United Nations has repeatedly described as a primary driver of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

This siege has deliberately targeted Yemen’s ability to import food, fuel, and medicine, while simultaneously attempting to plunder the nation’s oil and gas resources.

Utilizing their advanced asymmetric naval capabilities, including drones and missiles, Yemen has shifted from a purely defensive posture to an active pressure campaign.

This strategy is designed to inflict direct economic and military costs on the Saudi regime until the siege is permanently lifted, the war is ended, and Yemen’s full sovereignty is restored.

September 18, 2026 Posted by | Illegal Occupation, Militarism | , , | Comments Off on Saudi crown prince seeks dialogue with Ansarullah after Yemeni blows: Report

Damascus rejects Saudi request for Syrian fighters to counter Yemen: Report

The Cradle | September 18, 2026

Syria has rejected a formal Saudi request to organize and deploy Syrian fighters to Yemen, according to Syrian sources speaking with Turkiye Today.

Riyadh reportedly spent months seeking military personnel to meet its needs in Yemen, but Damascus declined the request, citing a focus on reorganizing its own military.

“This issue has been exhausted and is over. The Saudi request was made several months ago. Syria politely turned it down, saying it was focused on its own military organization process and did not intend to enter a conflict as a third party,” one of the sources said.

Saudi Arabia is engaged in a war against the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), which have made advances in recent weeks, liberating territory along the western coast previously held by Saudi-backed mercenaries.

Yemeni Armed Forces have also maintained a blockade on Saudi vessels seeking to transit the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, helping to limit Saudi crude exports already restricted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent days, Syria has experienced internal unrest due to protests against the government’s decision on Sunday to significantly increase gasoline and diesel prices.

The sources said Syria was not preventing individuals from traveling abroad to participate in the fighting in Yemen independently, but Damascus would not assume responsibility for such involvement.

Turkish sources also denied claims that Ankara had organized or transported Syrian fighters to Yemen, saying reports of Syrians traveling as part of teams operating alongside Turkish personnel were “completely untrue.”

“We have no involvement in this matter. Syria and Saudi Arabia are sovereign countries,” the Turkish sources said.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly continuing to seek military personnel and instructors from several countries, with Pakistan among those where recruitment efforts have gained traction.

Sources said any Turkish or Pakistani involvement under the Mecca Pact would focus on “defensive” missions and the protection of strategic infrastructure rather than ground operations against Yemen.

In August, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan announced the formation of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.

In an apparent bid to rally support from its new allies, Saudi Arabia made unsubstantiated claims on Tuesday that Yemeni forces attempted to attack the Saudi city of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, the Kaaba.

Colonel Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led mercenary forces in Yemen, alleged that the YAF launched a drone toward Mecca on Tuesday evening and that the Saudi air defenses shot it down before it entered the city’s restricted airspace.

However, Yemen denied the Saudi claim, saying Riyadh was spreading “false accusations.”

“There is no threat from Yemen to the holy sites. Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, and are far from the holy sites,” said YAF spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, via Telegram.

September 18, 2026 Posted by | Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on Damascus rejects Saudi request for Syrian fighters to counter Yemen: Report

Report: Saudi Arabia seeks allies’ assistance as missiles deplete amid war on Yemen

Press TV – September 17, 2026

Saudi Arabia is reportedly facing depleted reserves of missile interceptor systems and has appealed to regional partners and Western allies for assistance as Yemeni Armed Forces continue retaliatory missile and drone operations against strategic sites deep inside the kingdom.

The Associated Press, citing two regional officials speaking on condition of anonymity, reported on Wednesday that Saudi authorities have appealed to France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Egypt to establish air-defense reinforcements in the region to bolster protection against missile and drone operations conducted by Yemeni Armed Forces.

The Yemeni operations are being carried out in retaliation for ongoing airstrikes and the blockade against their Arab Peninsula nation.

The outreach effort commenced due to the fact that Saudi Arabia’s principal ally and primary arms supplier, the United States, has faced a significant reduction in its interceptor inventory over the course of a six-month war of aggression on Iran, according to one official.

Fresh Saudi airstrikes across Yemen

On Thursday, a civilian was killed and another sustained injuries when Saudi warplanes carried out two airstrikes in Yemen’s northern province of Hajjah.

Yemen’s al-Masirah television channel, citing local sources, reported that the aerial assaults destroyed four passenger cars and damaged a house in the Abs district.

Elsewhere in the southwestern province of Ta’izz, Saudi fighter aircraft targeted three telecommunications towers in the al-Ta’iziyah and Dimnat Khadir districts.

On July 20, the Sana’a government announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to “an unjust and oppressive siege” on Yemen for almost 12 years.

Subsequently, the Yemeni armed forces have reported a series of successful missions that have targeted vessels associated with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen, initiating a comprehensive military offensive that received support in terms of military, political, and logistical assistance from the United States and several Western countries.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have lost their lives; however, Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its primary goal of reestablishing a puppet government that served its interests.

September 17, 2026 Posted by | Militarism | , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Report: Saudi Arabia seeks allies’ assistance as missiles deplete amid war on Yemen

Fuel Crisis Deepens: Pakistan Warns Tanker Attack in Red Sea Would Be an ‘Act of War’

Sputnik – 17.09.2026

The Saudi East-West oil pipeline, a critical bypass route for the kingdom’s oil exports around instability in the Strait of Hormuz, was closed last week after Houthi attacks and may remain shut for up to six weeks.

Pakistan has warned that any attack on an empty oil tanker under the Pakistani flag anchored in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia will be regarded as an “act of war,” as Islamabad weighs its options amid rapidly shrinking diesel reserves.

The Saudi East-West oil pipeline, a critical bypass route for the kingdom’s oil exports around instability in the Strait of Hormuz, was closed last week after Houthi attacks and may remain shut for up to six weeks.

Speaking on a private news channel, Oil Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik stated that if crude oil supplies are cut, Pakistan will face an imminent diesel fuel shortage, since the country has reserves for only the current and upcoming month.

“This kind of statement should be understood in the context of Pakistan’s national security, sovereignty context, and also an increasingly serious energy security situation,” Syed Ali Ehsan, chief development officer at the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy, Economic Policy Analyst, told Sputnik.

According to Ehsan, the immediate issue is not simply that a tanker is stranded there, but that Pakistan has established a broader principle — that its civilian shipping should remain outside the regional conflict. Moreover, Pakistani flag vessels are critical to maintaining the country’s energy lifeline, and allowing one to be deliberately attacked, without consequence, could weaken the protection afforded to subsequent shipments.

However, declaring a red line does not mean that Pakistan must enter a wider regional war if an incident occurs.

As for the response Pakistan can give, the country has a substantial range of responses available to it, according to the expert. Pakistan can increase naval escorts or maritime surveillance and defend its vessels against incoming attacks, and in the event of a deliberate attack, retain the option of a limited and proportionate response, Ehsan believes.

In this photo released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the United Kingdom’s carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08), and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces led by

At the same time, diplomatic channels with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other regional actors can communicate clearly that Pakistan seeks to protect its commercial shipping, rather than become a party to the wider conflict, he emphasized.

As for solving the problem of Pakistan’s oil reserves being exhausted, the country needs to diversify both the source and the form of its petroleum imports.

“In the immediate term Saudi crude rerouted from Oman could provide an important alternative to disrupted routes, and Pakistan can simultaneously procure crude oil from alternative suppliers in Africa, such as Angola and Libya, or from Central Asia, for example, Malaysia,” Ehsan says.

Larger tankers can serve as temporary floating storage, effectively creating an emergency petroleum reserve offshore, the expert believes.

“I think the immediate policy objective is twofold: number one is to protect Pakistan shipping without being drawn unnecessarily into the regional conflict, and number two is to use the available window to rapidly diversify supply routes, the suppliers, and petroleum inventories,” Ehsan added.

September 17, 2026 Posted by | Economics, Wars for Israel | , , | Comments Off on Fuel Crisis Deepens: Pakistan Warns Tanker Attack in Red Sea Would Be an ‘Act of War’

Houthis Keep Advancing as the Red Sea Crisis Deepens

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – September 16, 2026

September 17, 2026 Posted by | Video, Wars for Israel | , , , , , | Comments Off on Houthis Keep Advancing as the Red Sea Crisis Deepens

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