Gulf war

Qatar's Prime Minister told Piers Morgan in a televised interview that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, while also discussing the Gaza war, Iran and Donald Trump. The blunt accusation from a key mediator in the conflict is drawing wide attention as the interview circulates online.

Speculation is mounting over whether rising tensions in the Middle East could push Iran and the United Arab Emirates into open conflict, drawing in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel and armed groups in Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza. Commentators are debating how a wider regional war could unfold and what it would mean for Gulf stability, oil markets and international security.

Yemeni government forces have driven Houthi fighters from positions along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Reuters. The strait is one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, so control of its coastline carries major strategic and commercial weight. The development marks a significant shift in Yemen's long-running conflict and could affect Red Sea maritime traffic.