EEAS

An Assyriology post is breaking down the cuneiform sign 𒈜, explaining that it is read 'paḫ' and means 'leg'. The item is tagged under cuneiforms, assyriology, culture, Middle East and education, framing it as a short educational note on how ancient Mesopotamian writing worked. Readers interested in ancient scripts and the history of the Middle East are engaging with the explanation.

The US military is dispatching roughly 9,000 troops aboard a carrier strike group to the Middle East, including a third aircraft carrier, a US official said Thursday. The deployment comes as President Trump weighs potential new strikes against Iran, signalling a significant build-up of American forces in the region.

Iran has imprisoned a hard-line member of parliament, according to a New York Times report, a move seen as exposing deep divisions within the country's leadership. The jailing of a sitting lawmaker from the conservative ranks is being read as a sign of intensifying infighting among Iran's political factions.

A new report examines why Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, launched in 2015 against the Houthis, turned into a prolonged stalemate that Riyadh could not win. The analysis recounts the heavy civilian toll, the resilience of the Houthi movement despite years of airstrikes, and the political and financial costs that eventually pushed Saudi leaders toward winding down their direct involvement.

The New York Times reports that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have increased, despite continued threats from Iran to disrupt traffic in the strategic waterway. The strait remains a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, and Iranian attacks or intimidation there keep shippers and energy markets on edge even as flows recover.

Israel's flag carrier El Al canceled two special repatriation flights from Dubai on Friday after Emirati authorities refused landing permission, the airline said. The flights were meant to bring Israelis home after FlyDubai suspended service, leaving travelers stranded and raising questions about a rare public friction point between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

A leadership summit is taking place in Middelburg, in the Dutch province of Zeeland, with open source and digital autonomy on the agenda. One attendee who could not be present is following the discussion through the open source community and wished participants a good gathering. The event highlights growing Dutch interest in open standards and reducing dependence on proprietary technology.

A passenger who helped restrain a pilot aboard a flydubai flight is describing a bloody scene inside the cockpit, according to a New York Times eyewitness account tied to an incident in the Middle East. The account offers a firsthand look at a violent struggle in the cockpit and how passengers intervened to subdue the pilot mid-flight.

A Middle East Eye opinion piece argues that Ed Miliband has spoken of a shift in policy on the Middle East, and says the moment has come to choose a side. The article is being shared in discussions of UK politics, Palestine and Gaza, framing Miliband's comments as a test of where British politicians stand on the conflict.

Renewed escalation in Yemen is drawing attention back to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and a critical artery for global shipping. The development raises concerns about disruptions to commercial traffic and trade routes through the Red Sea, a corridor that has faced repeated security threats in recent years.