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.” By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
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. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis In Saudi Arabia, Erdogan fosters security alignment, $30B trade push The Turkish president’s visit cemented Ankara and Riyadh’s accelerating convergence as regional crises mount and Gulf rivalries sharpen. By 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 The Houthi warnings come as a US aircraft carrier accompanied by several guided missile destroyers entered Gulf waters amid tensions with Iran. Iran
Turkish Public Diplomacy Faces Challenge in Yemen Pinar Tremblay examines the impact of Turkey's public-diplomacy efforts in Yemen and whether they should be considered "neo-Ottomanism." Yemen
Yemeni Art Scene Flourishes in Basement Young musicians and artists who often feel publically excoriated find peace and companionship at a cultural center in Sanaa, writes Janne Louise Andersen from Sanaa. Yemen
South Yemen Separatists Call For Secession Separatists in Aden, South Yemen, have engaged in deadly clashes with security forces and pro-unification protesters from the Islamist Islah Party and have renewed calls for secession, complicating Yemen’s fragile transition, reports Vivian Salama from Aden. Yemen
Yemeni Girls Turn to Solar Energy To Keep Power On A team of teenage girls who were “tired of darkness” invented solar-powered appliances and created a company that is selling and distributing them around the country, writes Nafeesa Syeed. Yemen