Federal judge says Trump travel ban lawsuit will proceed
A lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of denying nearly all visa applicants from countries under President Donald Trump’s travel ban will move forward, a U.S. judge said Thursday.
Yemen
Senate votes to end US support for Saudi war, bucking Trump
The Senate approved a resolution Thursday to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, dealing a significant blow to President Trump amid heightened tensions over the death of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Defying Trump, U.S. Senate advances measure to end support for Saudis in Yemen
In a rare break with President Donald Trump, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the war in Yemen and lawmakers vowed to push for sanctions against the kingdom in the new year.
House joins Senate to pass farm bill
The House passed a new farm bill Wednesday sending the legislation, which passed the Senate earlier in the week, to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature.
Defense, State chiefs call for 30-day cease-fire and peace talks for Yemen war
Secretary of State Jim Mattis has called for a 30-day cease-fire in Yemen’s civil war and the start of peace talks, within a month’s time.
Ex-CIA Director Hayden: Iran looking to outlast Donald Trump
Iran’s approach to the current nuclear standoff appears to be trying to outlast the Trump administration, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden told The Jerusalem Post in an interview late Monday.
US signals impatience with Saudi-led war in Yemen by ending aerial refueling support
The U.S. is pulling back some support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, as it presses for a ceasefire and peace talks by the end of the month. In statement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis portrayed the decision to stop U.S. refueling of Saudi warplanes attacking Houthi rebels in Yemen as a Saudi initiative.
Trump could designate Iran-backed Yemen rebels as terror group, report says
The Trump administration is reportedly contemplating designating Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, igniting a debate over whether or not such a label will bring the protracted war to a faster end.
In Saudi, Britain’s Hunt calls for end to Yemen war, Khashoggi justice
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Monday to press for an end to the war in Yemen and to call on Saudi leaders to cooperate with an investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
US hopes Russia will continue to let Israel hit Iranian assets in Syria
Washington will focus on pressuring Iran financially and contesting its activities in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where the Islamic republic enjoys broad influence, the U.S. envoy to Syria said Wednesday, adding that Tehran should eventually withdraw all Iran-commanded forces from Syria.
Elimination of ISIS ‘could take years,’ Pentagon inspector general says
The Islamic State has lost the vast majority of physical territory it once held, but fully defeating the terrorist group and rooting out sleeper cells that have spread across the Middle East and Africa ‘could take years,’ the Defense Department inspector general said in a sweeping report Monday that suggests final victory remains far off.
Britain pushes for U.N. Security Council action on Yemen crisis
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Monday he would push for new action at the United Nations Security Council to try to end hostilities in Yemen and find a political solution to the war there.
US, Britain push for Yemen ceasefire as relations with Saudis cool
The United States and Britain, Saudi Arabia’s biggest arms suppliers, are stepping up their pressure for a ceasefire in the Yemen war, the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster.
Mattis calls for end to Saudi-led war in Yemen
Defense Secretary James Mattis made a forceful call for all parties involved in the brutal war in Yemen to come to the negotiation table within the next month, to bring to an end to a conflict pushed by a Saudi Arabian-led coalition that has devolved into a military stalemate that has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
UN humanitarian chief says danger of ‘big famine’ in Yemen
The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Tuesday that ‘there is a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen.’
Yemen could be ‘worst famine in 100 years’
The United Nations is warning that 13 million people in Yemen are facing starvation.
Journalist’s disappearance hardens U.S. Congress stance on Saudi arms deals
The disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has hardened resistance in the U.S. Congress to selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, already a sore point for many lawmakers concerned about the humanitarian crisis created by Yemen’s civil war.
Iran spent $16B to destabilize Middle East, US State Department says
The U.S. State Department recently published an unprecedented report detailing the financial resources Iran invests in destabilizing the Middle East.
Iran video threatens missile strikes on UAE, Saudi Arabia
An Iranian media outlet close to the hard-line Revolutionary Guard published a video Tuesday threatening missile attacks on the capitals of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, further raising tensions after a weekend militant attack on an Iranian military parade.
US to continue backing Saudi coalition in Yemen war
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday the U.S. intends to continue backing the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen despite civilian casualties and questions about the Saudis’ commitment to avoiding killing innocents.