RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts The four impacted states had a combined estimated population of about 14.1 million, according to 2024 UN data. Sudan
Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people. Jordan
US issues travel advisories across Middle East citing Houthi threat A State Department spokesperson said the travel warnings were "not indicative" of new Houthi capabilities. Yemen
Aramco evacuates staff as Saudi Arabia braces for potential Houthi escalation: What to know The repeated and escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities and airports United States ordered the departure of non-essential government employees and their families from the kingdom, with oil giant Aramco reportedly evacuating its headquarters. Saudi Arabia
US moving away from Middle East security guarantor role, Barrack says By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Feature US aid runs dry as new fighting razes Yemen By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Islamic State kills 1, wounds 3 in Sinai The Egyptian peninsula's deadly insurgency lingers on. Egypt
Intel: House Democrats call on Biden to reform Middle East war powers California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee and House committee leaders wasted no time calling on the new president to rein in two-decade-old legislation on the authorization of military force. United States
US labels deputy head of Iraq’s PMU a terrorist The United States accused Abu Fadak of involvement in kidnappings and of attempting to align Iraq's security institution's with Iran's foreign policy. Iraq
Iraq regains confidence in dealing with outlawed militias Ahead of the one-year anniversary of a US-targeted drone assassination in the Iraqi capital that outraged some and pleased others, arrests made and warrants issued may signal progress in the struggle to curb the influence of armed groups operating outside government control. Iraq
Sudan joins forces with Egypt to crack down on Muslim Brotherhood Since former President Omar al-Bashir's overthrow, Sudan and Egypt are boosting cooperation to confront extremist ideas and groups. Egypt
PKK remains thorn in side of Turkish-Iraqi relations The Iraqi government needs Turkey to counterbalance Iran and help alleviate Baghdad's economic problems, but the Kurdish issue, which has long strained bilateral ties, might further snag progress in economic and strategic projects. Iraq
Iraqi government arrests suspects after rockets aimed at US Embassy As the one-year anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qasem Solaimani approaches, several rockets have again been shot at the US Embassy in Baghdad; suspects have been arrested. Iraq
Despite attempt at makeover, Syria’s HTS remains on US terror list Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been trying to present itself as a moderate group seeking to have its name removed from the international terrorist list, but these attempts are failing after the United States recently designated it among the "Entities of Particular Concern." Syria
Three dead in Sinai bombings The Egyptian military has reported several operations against Islamist insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula recently. Egypt
Armed groups target liquor shops in Iraq Shops selling alcoholic beverages in Baghdad are constantly targeted. Some Iraqis see this as part of the war on their personal freedoms. Iraq
Shiite factions close to Sistani move to separate from Iran-backed militias Brigades close to top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced the formation of a mobilization force affiliated with the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces, rather than Iran. Iraq
Turkish government voices support for Afghan peace process The head of Afghanistan's peace negotiations with the Taliban visited Ankara on Thursday as talks continue in Doha. Qatar
![A general view shows the US embassy across the Tigris river in Iraq's capital Baghdad on January 3, 2020. - The US embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens in Iraq to "depart immediately", for fear of fallout from a US strike that killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [2020] instead of [2019]. Please immediately remove the erron](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/12/GettyImages-1191358629.jpg/GettyImages-1191358629.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=dAlkQp_Q)
