What began as a routine commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a life-threatening emergency over Saudi Arabia on September 30, when the captain of a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 was allegedly attacked by his own co-pilot in the cockpit. Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national from Mumbai, was seriously injured during the confrontation, yet managed to take an action that became criti…
Saudi Arabia has firmly rejected reports that its representatives took part in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, pushing back against speculation that a significant new channel of Saudi-Israeli engagement may have opened behind closed doors. A Saudi official told AFP that there were “No official meetings. No talks. Nothing wh…
The strategic map of the Middle East is beginning to change again. After decades of maintaining a large military and diplomatic presence across the region, the United States is signaling that it may be ready to reduce at least part of its military footprint once the war with Iran comes to an end. At the same time, Turkey is positioning itself for a larger role in regional security, diplomacy and …
