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Republican slaps Pete Hegseth with a resolution to impeach him
Trump foe Thomas Massie launches effort to impeach Pete Hegseth The resolution stems from an ongoing feud after Hegseth traveled to Kentucky earlier this year to campaign against Massie in the Republican primary Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has filed a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, forcing the House of Representatives to hold a vote on the matter within two days. Massie accused the Pentagon chief of high crimes and misdemeanors on Tuesday, citing military operations in Iran, Caribbean boat strikes and disputes over free speech. Because the resolution is privileged under House rules, it bypasses standard committee delays and mandates a full vote by the chamber. Massie stated that Hegseth violated “his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and violated “his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, especially with regard to the commission of war,” as reported by The Hill. He added that Hegseth has “abused the powers of the Department of Defense.” The move marks a historic first-of-its-kind attempt by a lawmaker to target a Cabinet member from their own party with impeachment articles, and it follows an ongoing feud between the two men. In May, Hegseth traveled to Kentucky to campaign for Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL who challenged Massie in the Republican primary. During the visit, the Defense secretary criticized the incumbent, stating that “at some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing.” Gallrein won the primary, ending Massie’s reelection bid. The vote creates a tense political landscape. While Democrats previously introduced their own impeachment resolution against Hegseth in April, led by Representative Yassamin Ansari over Iran policy and classified information handling, many lawmakers from the party argue that any ouster should follow formal committee investigations, as reported by Politico. House Republicans also face a complex vote right before the midterm elections. Under the War Powers Resolution, presidents must conclude unauthorized military engagements within 60 days unless Congress provides formal authorization or a 30-day withdrawal extension. The House has previously passed two separate war powers measures with bipartisan support. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson defended the administration's record on Tuesday. “Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” Wilson said in a statement. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.” Wilson added: “By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments
Iran considers memorandum with US valid, wants to return to peaceful solution — MFA
Iran is not interested in continuing the conflict, Abbas Araghchi said
Iran, Oman agree on plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz — top diplomat
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran believes that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran remains in force
America Can Print Money... But It Can't Print The Missiles It Needs
America Can Print Money... But It Can't Print The Missiles It Needs Authored by Nick Giambruno via International Man, THAAD is one of the military-industrial complex's most expensive boondoggles - and most Americans have never heard of it. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system ranks among America's most advanced ballistic-missile defenses. It aims to intercept ballistic missiles during their terminal phase, as their warheads reenter the atmosphere from space and descend toward their targets. According to the GAO, it took decades and roughly $12.5 billion in research and development to get THAAD off the drawing board. Today, each interceptor costs an eye-watering $13 million. So every time the US military fires a THAAD interceptor at an incoming ballistic missile, taxpayers spend at least $13 million - and each engagement can require more than one interceptor. The system had troubled origins. After a string of failed tests in the 1990s, THAAD looked like it might become an expensive embarrassment. The failures triggered reviews, redesigns, and mounting questions over whether the Pentagon was throwing good money after bad. After years of improvements, THAAD entered operational service. Yet despite the billions spent developing it, the US military has acquired just eight batteries - not much of a vote of confidence in the system. In short, THAAD is expensive - and it is no panacea against ballistic missiles. Yet THAAD remains a key part of the front-line defense protecting US forces and allies in the Middle East from Iranian ballistic missiles. Few systems can do what THAAD attempts: track and destroy an incoming warhead as it reenters the atmosphere from space and plunges toward its target. THAAD can intercept conventional ballistic missiles, but maneuvering hypersonic weapons pose a much tougher challenge. Iran has developed missiles that can maneuver at hypersonic speeds during the final stage of flight, making them harder for missile-defense systems to track and destroy. Even the Houthis in impoverished Yemen claim to field missiles with similar capabilities. At the start of the June 2025 war, analysts estimated that the US had around 534 THAAD interceptors in its global inventory. By the end of the conflict, some estimates put the stockpile near 400, though the US military does not disclose the actual number for obvious reasons. In less than two weeks of fighting, the US burned through roughly 25% of its THAAD interceptor stockpile. In other words, the US fired around 134 THAAD interceptors during the June 2025 conflict. At roughly $13 million per interceptor, that puts the cost above $1.7 billion - despite an interception rate well below 100%. It's also crucial to understand the state of THAAD production. The US will not receive new interceptors until 2027. Even then, current production capacity stands at just eight per month. That was the state of THAAD - a crucial part of US and allied missile defense - when war with Iran erupted again in February 2026. That war continues today. The US military does not disclose its THAAD inventory, but months of combat appear to have pushed the stockpile to dangerous levels. The 12-Day War in June 2025 consumed around a quarter of the US supply, with no new deliveries to replace those losses. Since February 2026, a longer and more intense war has drained the stockpile further. And interceptor losses tell only part of the story. Iran has demonstrated that it can strike US missile-defense infrastructure across the Middle East with precision missiles and drones, putting THAAD batteries, radars, and other equipment at risk. When you put it all together, it's not hard to see the problem. Even if THAAD performs as intended, the US cannot sustain this rate of interceptor consumption for long. Months of combat have strained the missile defenses protecting US forces and allies in the region. If another round of intense fighting starts, there is a real possibility they could find themselves almost naked in front of Iranian ballistic missiles. Iran still has thousands of long-range drones and ballistic missiles in its arsenal - and can replenish them at a much faster rate than the US can replace the interceptors needed even to try to shoot them down. And that brings us to the real problem... The bottleneck isn't money... As the leader of the world order and issuer of the world's reserve currency, Washington can print or borrow more than any other country on the planet. The real bottleneck is physical production capacity - factories, skilled labor, rocket motors, electronics, and the critical minerals needed to build the interceptors. Congress can appropriate another $10 billion overnight. It cannot build a rare-earth processing plant, missile factory, or trained industrial workforce overnight. That is where rare earths enter the story. Modern weapons systems like THAAD depend on small quantities of rare earths and other critical minerals for high-performance magnets, guidance systems, sensors, actuators, electronics, and other components. The amounts involved can look trivial next to the cost of the finished weapon. A missile-defense system worth $150 million can depend on critical-mineral components worth only tens of thousands of dollars. But take away those materials, and the $150 million system becomes an expensive collection of parts that cannot do its job. That makes rare earths one of the strangest choke points in the global economy. In short, rare earths have become indispensable to the US military and the modern American economy. Measured in dollars or tonnage, the rare-earth market looks small. Yet this tiny physical market sits underneath trillions of dollars of economic value - from advanced weapons and aircraft to semiconductors, electric motors, robotics, data centers, and other high-tech industries. Think of it as an inverted pyramid. At the top sit trillions of dollars of military hardware, technology companies, industrial equipment, and economic output. At the bottom sits a sliver of obscure elements that most investors could not name. Remove that sliver and parts of the pyramid start falling apart. And China controls much of it. That dominance did not happen by accident. China spent more than three decades building mines, processing capacity, engineering expertise, equipment, supply chains, and manufacturing know-how around rare earths. The West went in the opposite direction. For decades, the US and Europe embraced the cheapest available supply while environmental restrictions, permitting obstacles, high costs, and public opposition made domestic production less attractive. China built the industrial base while the West consumed its output. Now Washington wants to reverse that process. But opening a mine solves only one piece of the problem. The US also needs processing facilities to separate rare-earth elements from ore. It needs plants that turn those materials into metals and alloys. It needs factories that manufacture high-performance permanent magnets. It needs specialized machinery, engineers, metallurgists, chemists, technicians, and workers who know how to operate the entire chain. In some cases, China also leads in the equipment and processes needed to perform those steps. You cannot recreate 30 years of accumulated industrial knowledge with an executive order and a pile of money. And China has shown that it understands the leverage this gives Beijing. During its trade confrontation with Washington, China tightened controls over exports of critical minerals and processed materials. The message was hard to miss: the US may control the world's reserve currency, but China controls physical inputs that parts of the American industrial and military machine cannot function without. That exposes a weakness few investors appreciated until recent years. The US can create dollars. It cannot create dysprosium, terbium, neodymium magnets, processing plants, or experienced engineers with a keystroke. Washington now understands the problem. The Pentagon has poured money into domestic critical-mineral projects, and the US government has pushed defense contractors to remove Chinese materials from their supply chains. That will create opportunities, but it will not solve the shortage in time to meet today's military needs. Building a Western rare-earth supply chain will take years, while war is consuming weapons faster than American factories can replace them. That mismatch between what Washington can spend and what American industry can produce is the heart of the problem. The THAAD shortage exposes a much larger problem. Washington can create as many dollars as it wants, but it cannot print the resources, factories, or skilled workers. The consequences will reach far beyond the battlefield. Inflation, shortages, and political turmoil could threaten your savings and personal freedom. Tyler Durden Wed, 09/16/2026 - 06:30
Israeli double-tap strike kills 15-year-old and paramedic in Gaza
A child has been killed in an Israeli double-tap strike as he rushed to help a paramedic wounded in an earlier attack.
Yemen's Houthis claim they shot down Saudi jet, deny targeting Mecca
Saudi Arabia vowed it would not hesitate to take "deterrent measures" against the Houthis after alerts were issued over possible drone attacks near Islam's holiest site, the first such alerts since the Iran war began in February. Yemen's Houthis on Wednesday said they shot down a Saudi fighter jet, claiming they used munitions made by the group to target the warplane. "The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media, while accusing Saudi Arabia of launching 450 strikes. He said the aircraft had been targeted "using a locally made air-to-air missile". The spokesman also dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted Islam's holy city of Mecca. "Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites," he said, adding that "fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal al-Saud regime cannot deceive anyone." The Saudi coalition vowed retaliation, warning that the security of holy sites was a "red line". "The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line, and the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia," the coalition said in a statement shared by spokesman Turki al-Maliki on X. Saudi Arabia had issued brief alerts on Tuesday over possible attacks in Mecca and across swathes of the kingdom's south, which borders Yemen. The alerts, including the first one issued in Mecca since the Iran war erupted in February, came a day after a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen wounded 13 people in the kingdom's south. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned on Wednesday "in the strongest possible terms the dastardly and heinous" attack on Mecca. "The people of Pakistan are saddened and perturbed by this outrageous act," he said on X. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member bloc of Muslim-majority countries, also condemned the "heinous" attack. The Houthis are Zaydi Shia Muslims, a specific branch of Islam historically rooted in northern Yemen that is theologically distinct from both the Twelver Shia Islam dominant in Iran and Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi-influenced Sunni tradition. Mecca is Islam's holiest site, home to the Kaaba — which Muslims worldwide turn toward for prayer — and the destination of the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the faith's Five Pillars or main tenets. Any confirmed attack on the city would put the perpetrators beyond the pale in the eyes of virtually the entire Muslim world, Shia and Sunni alike. Warnings over Bab el-Mandeb spike Formally known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with the internationally recognised government forces since Yemen's civil war reignited in July. The fighting in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country has forced 82,000 people to flee their homes since the start of September, according to the UN. Yemen's permanent representative at the UN Abdullah al-Saadi said his compatriots were fighting to restore "national institutions across every inch of their land", and called on the international community to take action against the Houthis. The group has also declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and has been targeting its ships in the Red Sea. In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb strait. One of the world's crucial waterways connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the main chokehold on the cargo route to the Mediterranean and Europe has become vital to Saudi crude exports as the wider Middle East war chokes the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. The Houthis have insisted that there is no threat to navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb except for Saudi vessels. Any attacks in the waterway are likely to make it less attractive to shippers. Disruption in the strait could also endanger Egypt, as the Red Sea serves as the gateway to the Suez Canal, on which Cairo relies for crucial foreign revenue. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Tuesday for "ensuring the freedom and security of maritime navigation" through the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, the Egyptian presidency said. On Tuesday, Qatar warned of dire consequences if Bab el-Mandeb was closed, saying it would be "catastrophic for the entire world". US media reported last week that the Saudi crown prince made a personal request to President Donald Trump for US intervention, but it was turned down. Neither Riyadh nor Washington have issued any statements regarding these reports. However, a US military task force is working to enhance intelligence-sharing and planning assistance for Saudi forces as they face attacks, a US official told AFP on Tuesday. Canal revenues are currently around half of what they were before the Houthis first started attacking Red Sea shipping in 2023, a campaign they said was in solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also targeted oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude exporter, pushing global prices above the $100-a-barrel threshold. The Saudi-led coalition said it would deal with the attacks "firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom", and would take "all necessary operational measures to deter this ... hostile and extremist approach". The Houthis are tied to Tehran's so-called Axis of Resistance — a loose network of militant groups in several countries in the region including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and militias in Iraq, all backed, trained and equipped by the IRGC to varying degrees.
Human rights lawyer Noura Erakat arrested at hearing against Israel Bonds
Palestinian human rights lawyer Noura Erakat was arrested in Florida after speaking against an Israel Bonds investment.
US provides arms support to Israel! $2.8 billion bomb sale plan
US provides arms support to Israel! $2.8 billion bomb sale plan (machine-translated headline from a Turkish-language source)
Why Yemen's Houthis have only grown stronger through years of war
Cairo: At various times over the last decade, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Britain and Israel have carried out punishing air raids on Yemen's Houthi rebels -- only to see them grow even stronger. Now, as the Iran-backed Houthis advance on a key maritime chokepoint and strike Saudi oil facilities, rattling world markets, there is little that can be done to stop them that hasn't been tried before. That's because the Houthis operate in a large and mountainous territory where they can disperse fighters and military infrastructure while threatening major oil infrastructure and key trade routes. Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Iraq provide expertise, training and sophisticated weapons, according to UN and other experts, and the Houthis' hard-line ideology does the rest. "They are the most committed, the most ideologically pure and the most aggressive" of Iran's regional allies, says Michael Knights, who has written extensively about the Houthis and is now head of research at Horizon Engage, a New York-based strategic advisory. "They've been developed by the Iranians in a fast-track way. Things that took the Lebanese Hezbollah 20 years to develop, the Houthis have developed in five." Iran denies arming the Houthis, which would violate a UN embargo. But smuggled Iranian weapons and parts have been seized from numerous shipments bound for Yemen, and a report by UN experts in 2024 documented extensive military ties between the Houthis, Iran and its other allies. That report estimated that the Houthis had recruited up to 350,000 fighters by 2024, up from just 30,000 in 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war against the Houthis and imposed a naval blockade. The Houthis can use relatively inexpensive drones and missiles to target oil and other infrastructure just across the border in Saudi Arabia, as well as tankers off the coast. And while Iran is believed to supply cutting-edge components like guidance systems, the Houthis can manufacture much of their weaponry domestically. Saudi Arabia boasts an array of US-supplied weapons, including sophisticated aircraft as well as advanced missile defences used against Iran at the height of the war last spring. But with supplies of high-end interceptors under pressure, it's unclear how long it can ward off attacks -- not only from the Houthis, but from Iran-backed militias in Iraq blamed for an attack that shut down an east-west pipeline crucial for oil exports. Over the next seven years, Saudi Arabia carried out waves of airstrikes against the Houthis, often killing civilians. An array of Yemeni government forces and southern separatists struggled to push the Houthis back, and the battle lines moved little before a 2022 ceasefire. The following year, after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in what they said was a blockade of Israel. The US and the UK launched waves of strikes against the Houthis beginning in January 2024. The following year, US President Donald Trump ordered an intensified air campaign, with some 2,000 munitions dropped on over 1,000 targets, a US military official told The Associated Press at the time. The cost of the US munitions alone totalled more than USD 750 million, while the Houthis destroyed seven US MQ-9 Reaper drones, at a cost of more than USD 30 million apiece. An over USD 60 million F/A-18 fighter jet slid off an aircraft carrier. After weeks of US strikes, the Houthis agreed to stop attacking American ships. But they continued to target Israel, which responded with its own strikes later in 2025, killing the Houthi prime minister along with other senior officials and repeatedly hitting a key port. The Houthis largely kept to the sidelines in the first several months of the Iran war, but in July, they resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia and declared a blockade on Saudi shipping. In the case of Yemen, the ground fighters opposed to the Houthis are deeply divided and fought each other as recently as January. They include fighters loyal to the Saudi-backed government and southern separatists supported by the United Arab Emirates -- a sometimes rival to the Saudis that withdrew from Yemen in 2019. "Half of the story is Iranian support, and this is extremely important ... but there's another half of the story, which is the weakness of their adversaries," said Thomas Juneau, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa specialising in Iran and Yemen. "(Yemen's) internationally recognised government is fragmented, it's weak, it's disunited, it's corrupt, and the Houthis have systematically been able to exploit that," he said. In recent weeks, anti-Houthi forces have fallen back from one position after another as the rebels have advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Saudis appear reluctant to enter another full-scale war with the Houthis. A ground campaign would involve prolonged fighting and high casualties. The US, still preoccupied with Iran, also appears keen to stay out. A Saudi mutual defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan signed last month has yet to be activated. The diplomatic options are also limited. The Houthis are demanding that Saudi Arabia lift its blockade, which would be an admission of defeat in the long-running war and pave the way for even more extensive Iranian aid to the rebels. "As long as US-Iran tensions are not resolved, there will not be significant progress between Saudi Arabia and Iran," Juneau said. "The Houthis are in a very intransigent mood right now, and they are absolutely not ready to make any kind of concessions." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Now, as the Iran-backed Houthis advance on a key maritime chokepoint and strike Saudi oil facilities, rattling world markets, there is little that can be done to stop them that hasn't been tried before. That's because the Houthis operate in a large and mountainous territory where they can disperse fighters and military infrastructure while threatening major oil infrastructure and key trade routes. Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Iraq provide expertise, training and sophisticated weapons, according to UN and other experts, and the Houthis' hard-line ideology does the rest. "They are the most committed, the most ideologically pure and the most aggressive" of Iran's regional allies, says Michael Knights, who has written extensively about the Houthis and is now head of research at Horizon Engage, a New York-based strategic advisory. "They've been developed by the Iranians in a fast-track way. Things that took the Lebanese Hezbollah 20 years to develop, the Houthis have developed in five." The well-armed Iranian ally has room to runThe Houthis have a wide array of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones -- many resembling Iranian models -- that can reach all the Gulf states as well as Israel. They have also used sophisticated anti-ship missiles and naval drones to strike vessels in the Red Sea, threatening a critical trade route. Iran denies arming the Houthis, which would violate a UN embargo. But smuggled Iranian weapons and parts have been seized from numerous shipments bound for Yemen, and a report by UN experts in 2024 documented extensive military ties between the Houthis, Iran and its other allies. That report estimated that the Houthis had recruited up to 350,000 fighters by 2024, up from just 30,000 in 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war against the Houthis and imposed a naval blockade. The Houthis can use relatively inexpensive drones and missiles to target oil and other infrastructure just across the border in Saudi Arabia, as well as tankers off the coast. And while Iran is believed to supply cutting-edge components like guidance systems, the Houthis can manufacture much of their weaponry domestically. Saudi Arabia boasts an array of US-supplied weapons, including sophisticated aircraft as well as advanced missile defences used against Iran at the height of the war last spring. But with supplies of high-end interceptors under pressure, it's unclear how long it can ward off attacks -- not only from the Houthis, but from Iran-backed militias in Iraq blamed for an attack that shut down an east-west pipeline crucial for oil exports. Airstrikes have had limited effectSaudi Arabia went to war against the Houthis in early 2015, after the rebels seized much of northern and central Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, from Yemen's internationally recognised government. Even then, the Saudis feared the growth of a well-armed Iranian proxy on their border. Over the next seven years, Saudi Arabia carried out waves of airstrikes against the Houthis, often killing civilians. An array of Yemeni government forces and southern separatists struggled to push the Houthis back, and the battle lines moved little before a 2022 ceasefire. The following year, after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in what they said was a blockade of Israel. The US and the UK launched waves of strikes against the Houthis beginning in January 2024. The following year, US President Donald Trump ordered an intensified air campaign, with some 2,000 munitions dropped on over 1,000 targets, a US military official told The Associated Press at the time. The cost of the US munitions alone totalled more than USD 750 million, while the Houthis destroyed seven US MQ-9 Reaper drones, at a cost of more than USD 30 million apiece. An over USD 60 million F/A-18 fighter jet slid off an aircraft carrier. After weeks of US strikes, the Houthis agreed to stop attacking American ships. But they continued to target Israel, which responded with its own strikes later in 2025, killing the Houthi prime minister along with other senior officials and repeatedly hitting a key port. The Houthis largely kept to the sidelines in the first several months of the Iran war, but in July, they resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia and declared a blockade on Saudi shipping. Any lasting defeat would require ground troopsAs recent conflicts have shown, air power is rarely effective without ground troops who can move in and seize territory after strikes. In the case of Yemen, the ground fighters opposed to the Houthis are deeply divided and fought each other as recently as January. They include fighters loyal to the Saudi-backed government and southern separatists supported by the United Arab Emirates -- a sometimes rival to the Saudis that withdrew from Yemen in 2019. "Half of the story is Iranian support, and this is extremely important ... but there's another half of the story, which is the weakness of their adversaries," said Thomas Juneau, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa specialising in Iran and Yemen. "(Yemen's) internationally recognised government is fragmented, it's weak, it's disunited, it's corrupt, and the Houthis have systematically been able to exploit that," he said. In recent weeks, anti-Houthi forces have fallen back from one position after another as the rebels have advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Saudis appear reluctant to enter another full-scale war with the Houthis. A ground campaign would involve prolonged fighting and high casualties. The US, still preoccupied with Iran, also appears keen to stay out. A Saudi mutual defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan signed last month has yet to be activated. The diplomatic options are also limited. The Houthis are demanding that Saudi Arabia lift its blockade, which would be an admission of defeat in the long-running war and pave the way for even more extensive Iranian aid to the rebels. "As long as US-Iran tensions are not resolved, there will not be significant progress between Saudi Arabia and Iran," Juneau said. "The Houthis are in a very intransigent mood right now, and they are absolutely not ready to make any kind of concessions." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition
Saudis seek allies' help as missile defenses run low in fight with Houthis, officials say
Saudis seek allies’ help as missile defenses run low in fight with Houthis, officials say Saudis seek allies’ help as missile defenses run low in fight with Houthis, officials say A Houthi spokesperson said on Monday that the Iranian-backed rebels’ military operations will continue until Saudi Arabia ends its blockade on the country. Qatar on Tuesday said it’s pushing for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and recent escalation in Bab el-Mandeb Strait. For more than a month, the Houthis have been striking Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, stepping up pressure on global oil prices and boosting Iran’s leverage in its war with the United States. The Houthi advances have seemed to come with little resistance from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. (Produced by Luke Garratt) For more than a month, the Houthis have been striking Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, stepping up pressure on global oil prices and boosting Iran’s leverage in its war with the United States. The Houthi advances have seemed to come with little resistance from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. (Produced by Luke Garratt) Displaced Yemenis from the West coast wait to receive medical care at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)License this photo Displaced Yemenis from the west coast, register to receive free medical care at The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)License this photo Pickup trucks travel in a mass funeral procession for Houthi officers and other military personnel in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)License this photo A man stands beside a portrait of Houthi fighter Mohammed Omar Ali al-Saqqaf, also known as Abu Fatima, mounted on a pickup truck during a mass funeral procession, with Al-Saleh Mosque in the background, in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)License this photo This image taken from an undated video released Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, by the Ansar Allah Media Office, the media arm of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, shows what the group says are Houthi fighters battling Saudi-backed forces in eastern Jawf, Yemen. (Ansar Allah Media Office via AP)License this photo CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has turned to regional and Western allies for assistance as its standoff with Houthi rebels in Yemen drags on, two regional officials said Wednesday. The officials said the Saudis have asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defense support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups. The outreach was initiated because Saudi Arabia’s main ally and arms supplier, the United States, has seen its own stock of interceptors dwindle over the course of a six-month war with Iran, one official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is the latest front to erupt as a result of the Iran war. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of trying to attack Islam’s holiest city with a drone; the region responded with condemnation but no sign of military support. The kingdom declared Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, a “red line” and said it had intercepted the drone. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca, about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Yemen’s border. Saudi Arabia struggles to rally support With the world’s biggest oil exporter under fire from rebels backed by the Saudis’ regional adversary, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military assistance. There’s no clear path to either. A crucial Saudi pipeline has been shut down, reportedly for weeks, after an attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The Houthis have been targeting infrastructure in the kingdom and its shipping on the Red Sea, where they have seized several islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. And Iran is still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel. One of the regional officials said Saudi Arabia is in a “very difficult position,” since it has to protect not only its military bases and vital government installations, but also oil facilities across the kingdom. The second official said Saudi Arabia is also seeking to rally its international allies to launch a collective response against the Houthis. “But the decision now is to give diplomacy a chance,” the official said, adding that Oman and Egypt are leading efforts for de-escalation in Yemen. Last weekend, Oman hosted a meeting between U.S. and Houthi representatives to discuss the regional tensions, said two people familiar with the matter, including a Houthi official. They gave no further details and spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief the media. Allies offer diplomatic support but no signs of military assistance On Tuesday, the British prime minister’s spokesman, Tom Wells, confirmed the U.K. has a “close defense partnership” with Saudi Arabia. But he declined to say whether Saudi Arabia has asked for military assistance, or say whether British troops are in the country. U.S. and NATO officials have previously acknowledged a critical shortage of missile interceptors in Europe, raising questions about Europe’s ability to assist. A Turkish government official said Turkey was engaged in talks with Iran and the United Arab Emirates to try and lower tensions. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the issue publicly, did not provide further details. The attacks are the first test of a new defense pact among Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkey and nuclear power Pakistan. But officials from Turkey and Pakistan told The Associated Press they have not received a Saudi request for support in response to the Houthis’ escalation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue. Amid the condemnation of the attempted attack on Mecca, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country and the Saudis stand “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder.” Turkey’s foreign minister expressed solidarity and said no country can “remain indifferent,” state-run Anadolu Agency reported. For now, the US is staying out of the fight The United States has sold billions of dollars in weapons to Saudi Arabia and has committed to other support, but top U.S. officials have indicated a lack of desire to get involved in the conflict. U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Monday said Washington had been in “constant contact” with the Saudis and had “engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis.” When asked whether Saudi Arabia had requested intervention, a U.S. official said the U.S. military’s Central Command has a task force in place for “enhancing intelligence sharing and planning support with Saudi forces.” The U.S. military hosted senior military leaders from eight countries last week at a conference in Germany to discuss “opportunities for enhancing security cooperation in the Middle East,” the official also said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The official did not confirm which countries attended. Houthis claim shooting down an F-15 fighter jet Without offering evidence, the Houthis claimed Wednesday that they shot down an F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-backed coalition over Yemen’s central province of Marib. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree didn’t say when it occurred, and the AP could not independently verify the claim. The rebels at times take days to claim attacks. Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran’s top diplomat is in China Iran’s top diplomat was in China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the U.S. and Iran to exercise restraint and reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible. He expressed China’s concern about the spread of the fighting to Yemen and the Red Sea, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran seeks “the restoration of calm to the region and friendly and peaceful relations with our neighbors.” China has avoided direct involvement in the war, but President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend again offered Beijing’s help in ending it. Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered somewhat as tankers risk using a route near Oman on the other side of the waterway, with guidance from U.S. forces. Estimates vary because ships can turn off location systems but range from 5 million to 7 million barrels per day on average. That’s less than half the amount before the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. ___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey, and Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, David McHugh in Frankfurt, Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Jill Lawless in London, contributed to this report.
EU loses 90 bln euro due to situation in Strait of Hormuz — EC president
Ursula von der Leyen said the EU needs to double efforts on development of "affordable and homegrown clean energy"
'Red line': Saudis down suspected Houthi drone near Mecca
The Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis vowed retaliation Wednesday after the Iran-backed group crossed a "red line" by launching a drone at Mecca, one of Islam's holiest sites. The attack caused an outrage across the Muslim world and escalated the regional conflict further. Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea. Last week's lightning offensive saw the group seize control of the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital artery for Saudi oil exports as the wider Middle East war chokes off the Strait of Hormuz strategic shipping route. The Houthis swiftly rejected as a "lie" Riyadh's report that it shot down a drone from the rebels heading toward the Saudi city of Mecca, which attracts millions of pilgrims each year. "The claims about targeting Mecca are a worn-out lie that has been used before and no longer fools anyone," Hazem al-Assad from the Houthis' politburo wrote on X. The Saudi coalition vowed retaliation, warning that the security of holy sites was a "red line." "The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line, and the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the Terrorist Houthi Militia," the coalition said in a statement shared by spokesman Turki al-Maliki on X. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation – a bloc of 57 Muslim countries – condemned the "heinous" attack. Saudi Arabia had issued brief alerts Tuesday over possible attacks in Mecca and across swathes of the kingdom's south, which borders Yemen. The alerts, including the first one issued in Mecca since the Middle East war erupted in February, came a day after a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen wounded 13 people in the kingdom's south. Fighting flared in July when the Houthis, who have for years controlled swathes of northern Yemen, launched a large-scale offensive against Yemeni government forces. The conflict in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country has forced 82,000 people to flee their homes since the start of September, according to the United Nations. Yemen's permanent representative at the U.N., Abdullah al-Saadi, said Yemenis were fighting to restore "national institutions across every inch of their land," and called on the international community to take action against the Houthis. Yemen's plea came as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for free navigation in the Red Sea following the Houthi's offensive in the vital waterway. De facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called Tuesday for "ensuring the freedom and security of maritime navigation" through the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb – which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, the Egyptian presidency said. The revival of Yemen's civil war, dormant since 2022, has left Riyadh rushing to respond. U.S. media reported last week that the Saudi crown prince made a personal request to President Donald Trump for U.S. intervention, to no avail. The Houthis have insisted that there is no threat to navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb except for Saudi vessels. Any attacks in the waterway are likely to make it less attractive to shippers. Disruption in the strait could cause Egypt to feel the pinch too, as the Red Sea serves as the gateway to the Suez Canal, upon which Cairo relies for crucial foreign revenue. Canal revenues are currently around half of what they were before the Houthis first started attacking Red Sea shipping in 2023, a campaign they said was in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. On Tuesday, Qatar warned of dire consequences if Bab el-Mandeb was closed, saying it would be "catastrophic for the entire world." The Houthis have also targeted oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude exporter, helping push global prices above the $100-a-barrel threshold. The Saudi-led coalition said it would deal with the attacks "firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom," and would take "all necessary operational measures to deter this ... hostile and extremist approach." Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia launched 52 airstrikes on Yemen over the past 24 hours, accusing it of targeting civilian sites, including schools and bridges. But Riyadh's strikes have failed to reverse the group's gains. A U.S. military task force is working to enhance intelligence-sharing and planning assistance for Saudi forces as they face attacks, a U.S. official told AFP Tuesday.
US troops leak PHOTOS of extensive damage to their bases from Iranian strikes
Disgruntled troops leak PHOTOS of extensive damage to US bases from Iranian strikes US troops have leaked new images to CBS News capturing widespread destruction at American military bases across the Middle East from Iran’s missile and drone attacks. The servicemen who provided the photos chose to stay anonymous because of harsh media restrictions in the US military, the outlet said in an article on Tuesday. “This is major damage to our bases that hasn’t been communicated to the American public,” one of the soldiers stationed in the region said. The service member complained about insufficient air defenses at the US facilities, saying “we’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.” The Iranian munitions that are getting through are “not ‘squirters’” as US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called them after six American troops were killed in a strike on a US military tactical operations center at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait in early March, the soldier stressed. “We’re not defending these bases. We’re just watching them get destroyed.” 🚨🇺🇸 🇮🇷 BREAKING: Troops leaked photos of their wrecked bases to CBS, saying they're "standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face"— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 15, 2026 Active service members sent the images anonymously. One soldier's words: "We're not defending these bases. We're just watching… pic.twitter.com/zvxEyxB8wm CBS News said that the photos it had received showed a $300 million US E-3 Sentry radar plane destroyed by a direct hit at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia as well as damaged buildings and burnt-out vehicles at Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Earlier this week, the US War Department’s inspector general issued a report, saying that the American forces have suffered $3.7 billion in equipment losses, including almost 60 aircraft, during the war against Iran, which started in late February with a US-Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic. American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan were hit, with hundreds of buildings and structures being damaged or destroyed, according to the inspector. Last week, the acting secretary of the US Navy, Hung Cao, told the Epoch Times that Iran “blew the hell out of Bahrain,” referring to the attacks on the American military facilities in the Gulf country. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the acknowledgment in a post on X, saying that “our powerful Armed Forces did indeed ‘blow the hell out of the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain,’ as well as other bases supporting US aggression.” In early September, Iranian Parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that further aggressive actions by the US will be met with “faster, heavier and more painful” retaliation by Tehran. “The Americans have surely understood that the era of proportionate responses has come to an end and our recent strikes against aggressor bases were only a start,” Ghalibaf said.
AI in the region's wars: attempts to develop weapons, influence campaigns and intelligence uses
AI in the region's wars: attempts to develop weapons, influence campaigns and intelligence uses (machine-translated headline from a Arabic-language source)
Republican turns on Pete Hegseth with eight articles of impeachment
Republican turns on Pete Hegseth with eight articles of impeachment - Republican Representative Thomas Massie filed a privileged resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, forcing a House vote within two days. - Massie accused Hegseth of violating his oath of office, abusing Department of Defense powers, and mishandling military operations in Iran and Caribbean boat strikes. - The filing marks a historic first: a lawmaker has introduced impeachment articles against a Cabinet official from their own party. - The resolution follows a personal feud after Hegseth campaigned against Massie in Kentucky's Republican primary, which Massie lost. - Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson defended Hegseth, stating the Department of War is stronger and unified under President Trump and Hegseth's leadership.
Al-Qaida and IS-linked violence in Africa’s Sahel belt set to hit record levels this year
Islamist extremist violence in Africa’s Sahel region is set to reach historic highs after a series of sweeping offensives by groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State, according to new figures compiled by the conflict monitor Acled. As the US marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks launched by al-Qaida against targets in Washington and New York, the statistics underline the continued expansion of the veteran organisation in parts of Africa – in stark contrast with its relative weakness elsewhere. Compiled by Acled, which stands for Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, the statistics focus on the centre of Islamic militancy in three countries – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – which together comprise a huge and hotly contested zone at the heart of the strategic Sahel region. According to the respected non-profit organisation, incidents of violence with jihadist groups present in the three countries have soared from 63 in 2016 to 2,845 in 2025. So far this year, 2,145 events have already been logged. If current trends continue in coming months, an annual total of well over 3,000 events appears likely. Though total deaths from terrorism globally have fallen to their lowest level since 2008, those in the Sahel have risen sharply. “Terrorism has become more geographically concentrated: the Sahel continued to record some of the world’s highest terrorism death tolls, with the UN recording more than 9,000 deaths from security incidents across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in 2025,” the 2026 report of the Global Peace Index noted earlier this year. In April, a joint offensive in Mali launched by the al-Qaida-linked group Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-dominated rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) targeted strategic towns, government forces and their Russian auxiliaries with ambushes, car bombs, drones and raids, inflicting significant casualties. Mali’s defence minister died in a suicide attack on his residence in the garrison town of Kati, 9 miles north-west of the capital, Bamako, and the head of military intelligence was killed. Other attacks hit Mali’s international airport, while rebels seized control of the strategic city of Kidal, a former stronghold of the FLA, after soldiers fled and a force of Russian mercenaries surrendered. The defeat reversed a key symbolic victory won by the junta in Mali three years ago. Since then, JNIM has continued to expand areas under its control in Mali, killing more soldiers and Russian mercenaries in recent weeks, and broadening its operations in some neighbouring countries. Much of the violence involves fighting with rival groups. The conflict has also included multiple killings by government armed forces and Russian mercenaries. In Burkina Faso, JNIM has claimed more than 130 attacks in 2026, striking closer to Ouagadougou, the capital. In Niger, the group claimed at least 17 attacks but remained significantly less active than its rival Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, according to a recent United Nations report based on intelligence supplied by member states. Experts said JNIM had distanced itself from al-Qaida’s historic objectives of striking the US and its allies. “In the Sahel, Islamic State and al-Qaida now command big areas but these are very localised groups. Not a single attack in Europe or the US has been planned in the Sahel,” said Ulf Laessing, a senior analyst at the Konrad Adenauer foundation in Berlin. The other main group in sub-Saharan Africa with links to al-Qaida is al-Shabaab, which has dominated much of Somalia’s rural areas for many years. “In east Africa, al-Shabaab remains one of the continent’s deadliest groups, with Acled recording more than 10,000 reported deaths in al-Shabaab-related violence over the past 18 months,” said Peter Bofin, Acled’s senior analyst for south-east Africa. “Despite some degradation of its extortion in Mogadishu, its revenue streams stretch across the country, and the region.” Militant groups linked loosely to IS are active in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Chad and Nigeria, where they were targeted by US airstrikes last year. The continuing expansion in sub-Saharan Africa has been welcomed in al-Qaida’s propaganda, but experts point out the continent barely featured in the group’s strategic planning until recent years. “Twenty-five years ago it was all about Afghanistan and then Iraq … Africa wasn’t really of interest then. Now its the main area of operations,” said Laessing. Though sectarian and ethnic conflict, bitter competition over resources, poor governance, endemic instability and other factors make Africa a fertile ground for Islamic militant recruiters, territory in places like Mali and Somalia has major limitations as a base for campaigns elsewhere in the world or for long-range terrorist attacks. At its peak in the years after the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaida affiliates posed a significant threat to authorities across much of the Middle East, with thousands convinced by the group’s call for a global uprising against the US, Israel and local regimes. Al-Qaida was also able to inspire and direct a series of lethal attacks in Europe that killed hundreds. However, the recent UN report described al-Qaida senior leadership as “marginalised” and noted that the group’s capability and intent to conduct external operations remained “unclear”. Analysts point out there has been no formal declaration of a successor to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the veteran Egyptian militant killed in Kabul by the US in 2022. Instead, the de facto leader is believed to be 66-year-old Saif al-Adel, who is thought to have been in Iran since 2002 and has yet to make any public statement. Other leaders are likely to be based in Afghanistan, where the group has been able to rebuild a limited infrastructure, western intelligence services believe. The most potent al-Qaida affiliate outside Africa is the Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which the UN report described as “the vanguard of the global al-Qaida movement” and one of the few affiliates committed to continuing al-Qaida’s decades-old campaign against the US. In May, AQAP’s media channels released a new video calling on Muslims in Europe and the US to carry out local attacks and to fight on “behalf of the [Islamic community] in any way possible”. But though AQAP continues to maintain an estimated 2,000 fighters, largely entrenched in the mountains between Abyan and Shabwa, the group’s activity fell by approximately 70%, from 63 events in the first seven months of 2025 to 19 during the same period in 2026, according to Acled. Some analysts have contrasted the high numbers of militants currently mobilised by groups such as JNIM and al-Shabaab, which number in the tens of thousands, with the much more limited manpower available to al-Qaida before the 9/11 attacks. Others stress the very different intentions and capabilities of the group now and 25 years ago.
Zelensky Says Putin Wants All of Ukraine, Rejecting ‘Win-Win’ Peace Concept After 4 Years of War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal in the war extends far beyond seizing additional Ukrainian territory, adding that Moscow ultimately wants Ukraine to become part of Russia. Speaking to CBC News in an interview, he said Ukraine could accept a ceasefire along the current line of contact if Russia agreed to halt fighting without conditions and the conflict then moved to diplomacy. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We are ready for this,” Zelensky said, referring to a potential halt in fighting along the existing front line. He said negotiations could then continue with the mediation of international partners, adding that a ceasefire without conditions would be preferable to continued fighting. Zelensky rejects ‘win-win’ concept Zelensky also rejected the idea that there could be a “win-win” outcome for Russia and Ukraine after the losses caused by the war. “There is no win-win in this war,” he said, adding that the war ceased to be a situation in which both sides could benefit from the moment it began and caused human casualties. Zelensky added the most important victory would be to end the war and protect human lives, rather than for either Ukraine or Russia to claim victory. He acknowledged that he and US presidential envoy Jared Kushner had somewhat different views on the issue but said he was encouraged that Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff had traveled to Kyiv after multiple visits to Moscow. Goble: Russia’s Elections Are a ‘Stress Test’ for Putin’s Regime Zelensky said the envoys had asked Ukrainian officials not to publicly discuss some of their proposals while the two sides examined them in greater detail. He added that Ukraine was preparing for a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York expected later in September. ‘He needs Ukraine’ The Ukrainian president pushed back against the idea that Putin could be satisfied by obtaining a specific portion of Ukrainian territory. Asked about Kushner’s comments that territory remained a key sticking point and that Putin had outlined the territorial line he wanted, Zelensky said the issue was not simply about “some kilometers” of land. “The problem is that we have to change Putin’s mind,” Zelensky said. He argued that it made little sense to suggest Putin needed only a particular part of Ukraine, given that Russia already controls vast territory elsewhere. “He needs Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “He needs Ukraine [to] be a part of Russia.” Zelensky said this was why Ukraine could not simply accept a territorial concession as the basis for a lasting settlement. He also addressed the prospect of meeting Putin directly, saying he was willing to sit across from his adversary if doing so could bring the parties closer to peace. He acknowledged that such a meeting was not something he personally wanted, saying he would rather spend the time with his family. “But he is an enemy, of course,” Zelensky said. Zelensky said he would nevertheless meet Putin if negotiations could produce meaningful progress toward peace. He argued that he understood Putin’s objective and believed the Russian leader would continue trying to occupy Ukraine unless Ukraine remained strong and received credible security guarantees. “He will not change his goal,” Zelensky said. For Ukraine, he added, security guarantees would need to ensure that Russia could not simply resume its attempt to occupy the country after a ceasefire or peace agreement. You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
US House votes to end Iran war, 7 Republicans join in favour
For a third time, the US House approved a war powers resolution, halting Trump's ability to continue military action.
Only few ships passed through Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday — news agency
According to analysts, none of the ships were supertankers with oil or tankers transporting liquefied natural gas
At least 10 dead, dozens missing in Gaza building collapse
At least 10 Palestinians are dead and up to 70 more are believed missing after a building collapsed in Gaza City.