On Sunday, Dec. 3, three commercial ships with ties to 14 countries were attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, according to a U.S. Central Command report. Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, reportedly fired ballistic missiles at the three ships over about eight hours. According to U.S. Central Command, the first missile that…

With the cease-fire over, Israel says it’s expanding its ground operations to all of Gaza. And plans for the next merger in the airline industry have been announced. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Israel expanding operation in Gaza days after cease-fire ends Just days after the temporary…

Armed assailants seized and released a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, Nov. 26. The U.S. Central Command, including the USS Mason, responded to the seizure and demanded the assailants release the tanker. The United States Navy apprehended at least five armed rebels during the struggle. “We’re continuing to assess,…

As Israel and Hamas prepare for the final day of the limited cease-fire, there are talks of extending the hostage release deal. And, the world’s largest iceberg, grounded for decades, is on the move. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Israel, Hamas open to extend pause on final day of…

The United States said it wants to prevent the war in Gaza from spiraling into a greater, regional conflict. To achieve this mission, the U.S. government sent a staggering amount of firepower to the Middle East. There are near daily weapons shipments to Israel, and there are enough U.S. Navy and Air Force assets in…

Five Republican candidates took the stage Wednesday night, Nov. 8, making their case to be the next president in the third GOP primary debate. And Hollywood actors reach a tentative deal with the studios to put an end to the nearly four-month strike. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Nov. 9. Recapping…

In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, President Joe Biden ordered aircraft carriers to the Middle East and warned Iran and Hezbollah to keep their distance, seeking to deter a larger regional war. But critics of the president are questioning the effectiveness of his long-term Iran containment strategy over the…

As the Israel-Hamas war continues through its third week, former president Barack Obama has issued a statement backing Israel in its fight against the terrorist group but added a warning. In a statement released on Monday, Oct. 23, the former president warned Israel not to put civilian lives at risk while noting how difficult a…

According to the United Nations, more than 200,000 people have died during Yemen’s civil war and the country is suffering from an epic humanitarian crisis. But after eight years of the war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-backed Yemeni government, a potential truce is being hammered out. On April 9, a delegation from Saudi…

Team USA may have scored a huge victory over Iran in the World Cup, but the Middle East nation remains a major adversary on the geopolitical stage. Iran’s rulers have executed hundreds of its own citizens for protesting the regime’s oppressive tactics, sold drones to Russia to use in its ongoing war effort against Ukraine,…