Saudi-led Coalition issues warning
In Yemen, a spillover of the wider US-Iran conflict, the Saudi-led coalition warned that the Tehran-backed Houthi group was exploiting traditional fishing boats to smuggle weapons, missiles and military equipment into Yemen, urging vessel owners not to cooperate with the militia.
In a statement issued by the coalition’s Joint Forces Command, the coalition identified four vessels as types of traditional maritime craft being used by the Houthis to transport military supplies by sea.
The statement was accompanied by photographs illustrating the four types of traditional boats identified by the coalition. Take a look:
The coalition said the smuggling operations posed a direct threat to Yemen’s security, as well as regional and international security, and endangered the lives of civilians.
"The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition urges all owners of maritime vessels to refrain from cooperating with the terrorist Houthi militia in smuggling weapons, missiles and military equipment by sea to the Yemeni coast, in order to safeguard their lives and protect their property."
Araghchi meets Lavrov in Tehran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas met his Russian counterpart in Tehran for what he called "timely talks".
"We covered everything from Europe to West Asia, including Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine and Yemen. Also focused on expansion of economic and nuclear cooperation.
Never in our history have Iran and Russia worked as closely as now," he said.
Lavrov meets Araghchi in Tehran
Hegseth meets Netanyahu in Israel
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge.
Hegseth said in a social media post that he had visited US service members in the Central Command area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia.
News of Hegseth's trip comes a day after US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu in next week's parliamentary election in Israel, its first vote since the October 7, 2023 attack, that shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil, as Israel went to war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, opinion polls show.
No end in sight
Two weeks prior to the US midterm elections, there seems to be no end in sight for the US-Iran conflict, as efforts to revive talks between the two countries remain stalled.
On October 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of fuelling insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the key flashpoints in the conflict. Trump, meanwhile, claimed Iran had been militarily and financially destroyed, warning that the United States would “soon finish the job” unless Tehran changed its course rapidly.
Keep reading Khaleej Times as we resume our coverage of this top story.