First Pass

73 stories from 9 sources

Regional escalation collides with uncertain ceasefires and transactional diplomacy

Day’s Recap

Supporting Articles

An airport in Riyadh was struck a day after a devastating attack, while the Houthis said Saudi aircraft had hit the airport in Yemen's capital. The reciprocal strikes indicate a widening campaign against civilian and transport infrastructure.

10:27 PMThe New York Times

Saudi Arabia says a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed one Pakistani national and injured 11 people. The attack adds to a widening pattern of violence targeting the kingdom.

10:11 PMAl Jazeera

Iran's foreign minister urged diplomacy in a call with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister and offered to facilitate talks between Riyadh and Yemen's Houthis. The proposal followed deadly strikes on Saudi territory.

8:39 PMAl Jazeera

Donald Trump said he would consider joining Saudi Arabia's military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis after a deadly strike on an airport. Analysts warned that deeper US involvement would add pressure to American forces already engaged in the region.

5:30 PMCNBC

Former US Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk says the attack on Riyadh’s international airport demonstrates the expanding threat from Iran-backed Houthi forces. He argues that hardliners in Tehran are making negotiations over the broader regional conflict more difficult and warns that a US agreement involving Russian diesel could weaken efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

1:12 PMBloomberg Markets

A deadly attack on Riyadh's international airport has intensified concerns about threats to Gulf shipping, energy infrastructure and Saudi Arabia's investment plans. The discussion also covers Ukraine's opposition to a proposed US-Russia diesel agreement, which Kyiv says could help fund Moscow's war.

11:46 AMBloomberg Markets

Other Developments

A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.

A rights group says strikes on an artisanal mining camp near the Egypt-Sudan border killed dozens of gold prospectors. Egypt and Sudan have not commented on the alleged attacks.

5:12 PMBBC

NATO’s top military commander says the alliance should increase support for Ukraine after Russian hybrid attacks and exploit openings that could bring Moscow and Kyiv to negotiations. He describes the war as brutal but potentially susceptible to diplomatic openings.

1:41 PMBloomberg Markets

The cease-fire reached last October appeared to end Israel’s war in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. But Israeli strikes have continued, albeit less frequently, a year later.

7:25 AMThe New York Times

The article argues that Trump's threats to acquire Greenland were damaging to the US relationship with Denmark and the wider NATO alliance, even though his focus on the Arctic's strategic importance was justified. A US-Denmark agreement later expanded the US military presence in Greenland without force.

7:00 AMThe Guardian Books

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