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June 30, 2026

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People ride motorcycles past a large billboard showing portraits of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), and slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in central Tehran on June 8, 2026.

Analysis

From Beirut to Bab el Mandeb, Iran tests new deterrence strategy

Tehran views its latest clash with Israel as a watershed moment and proof that any attack on its regional allies can trigger direct and immediate retaliation.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Saudis shop for fresh products at a market in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2026, on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security

Roughly 61 million people in the Gulf rely on established food supply chains, many of which have been upended since the United States and Israel launched their attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Latest News

Analysis

In Saudi Arabia, Erdogan fosters security alignment, $30B trade push

Riyadh

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Yemen’s Houthis hint at Red Sea attacks as US-Iran tensions rise: What to know

Galaxy Leader

Thousands rally for South Yemen independence amid Saudi diplomatic push

AFP via Getty Images

Egypt's economy can weather more Red Sea attacks, says finance minister

Ships sail along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia on April 16, 2025.

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images

Houthis warn Saudi Arabia 'would be a target' if it backs US-UK strikes

The Houthi warning comes amid increased attacks against vessels in the Red Sea claimed by the Iran-backed group in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

French marines patrol the area around the French navy frigate, the FS Languedoc.

Analysis

Despite internal discord, EU to launch Red Sea naval mission within 3 weeks

Internal disagreements within the European Union are why Brussels announced only this week that it will set up a naval military mission in the Red Sea to protect the maritime route.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie holds a press conference about the grounding of the Panama-flagged MV Ever Given cargo ship in the waterway, Suez, March 27, 2021.

Analysis

Egypt sees sharp decline in Suez Canal trade volume amid Red Sea turmoil

Data for 2024 up to Jan. 29 show 140.55 million metric tons of trade transiting the key chokehold compared with 145.25 million metric tons the same time last year.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

David Cameron

UK’s Cameron heads to Oman to discuss Houthi attacks, Red Sea escalation

Ahead of the visit, the foreign minister told the Conservative Middle East Council that Britain is ready to bring forward the moment when it officially recognizes an independent Palestinian state.

Luke Dray/Getty Images

Yemen’s Houthis fire missile at US warship as Biden seeks China's aid

The Houthis targeted a US Navy destroyer with an anti-ship ballistic missile as Biden's top adviser was due to meet China's top diplomat in Thailand on Friday to discuss reining in the Yemeni faction's attacks.

A ship transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024, in Ismailia, Egypt.

Red Sea trade hit can be 'managed' amid weak global demand, says WEF

Maroun Kairouz, director of the World Economic Forum for the Middle East and North Africa, told Al-Monitor that the Israel-Hamas conflict has not had a material impact on global energy markets so far.

Houthi soldiers attend a military parade marking the ninth anniversary of the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa on Sept. 21, 2023.

US redesignates Yemen’s Houthis as terror group amid Red Sea attacks

The Biden administration stopped short of branding the Houthis with the more severe Foreign Terrorist Organization label, which aid agencies warned would hinder their life-saving work in Yemen.

This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on Nov. 20, 2023.

Davos 2024: Red Sea attacks ‘a crisis whole world needs to respond to,’ says US

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that since mid-November, 50 nations have been impacted by nearly 30 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by the Iran-aligned Houthi militants.

People take part in a protest in the streets of the Yemeni Red Sea city of Hudeida, to condemn the overnight US and British forces strikes on Houthi rebel-held cities, on Jan. 12, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza.

Red Sea escalation threatens US effort to end Yemen's war

Experts say a wave of American-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that are meant to prevent further attacks in the Red Sea could embolden the militants and undermine an already shaky truce.

A sign is seen at the congress center during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023.

Davos 2024: Gaza, Red Sea high on World Economic Forum agenda

More than 300 high-profile public figures will gather at the summit in the Swiss Alpine ski resort, including more than 60 heads of state and government, to discuss global security and business challenges.

In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, an RAF Typhoon aircraft returns to berth following a strike mission on Yemen's Houthi rebels at RAF Akrotiri on Jan. 12, 2024.

Analysis

Explainer: Why Bahrain supported US strikes on Yemen’s Houthis

Bahrain’s geographical position and close ties to the US are influencing its policy on the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

ISMAILIA, EGYPT - JANUARY 10: A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on January 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt. In the wake of Israel's war on Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Houthi rebels in Yemen pledged disruption on all ships destined for Israel through the Red Sea's Suez Canal. The disruption on world trade is evident in the number of companies using this container ship route - a 90 per cent decline compared to figures one year ago. (Photo by Sayed Hassan/Getty Images)

Tesla, Volvo pause production lines, oil prices up amid Red Sea tension

There is a fast-growing list of companies that have had to recalibrate their business strategies while the Red Sea shipping route remains volatile.