The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite Islamist rebel group, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization, are among Iran's most powerful and resilient allies. They are a key part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, an informal Iran-led military coalition in the Middle East. During his speech, al-Houthi suggested that the Houthis were ready to lend military support to Iran: 'We are fully prepared for any necessary developments,' he said.
OPINION - The global terrorism landscape in 2026 - the 25 th anniversary year of the 9/11 terrorism attacks - is more uncertain, hybridized, and combustible than at any point since 9/11. Framing a sound U.S. counterterrorism strategy - especially in the second year of a Trump administration - will require more than isolated strikes against ISIS in Nigeria, punitive counterterrorism operations in Syria, or a tougher rhetorical posture.
A third round of retaliatory strikes by the U.S. in Syria resulted in the death of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, who officials say had a direct tie to the Islamic State member responsible for last month's ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country. U.S. Central Command announced that the strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim,
All of a sudden, two major provinces that were under the Kurdish forces' control fell in a number of hours and Syrian government forces swept in, he tells Annie Kelly. Soon the forces were at al-Hawl camp, the largest camp holding suspected Islamic State militants and then they were taking it over. In the chaos of the handover, more than 100 prisoners escaped and not all were found again.
The Syrian government says it has taken over control of al-Aqtan prison, a facility in the northeastern city of Raqqa housing a number of ISIL (ISIS) detainees, following the withdrawal of Kurdish-led SDF fighters under a ceasefire agreement. The Interior Ministry said in a statement on Telegram on Friday that officials from the Prisons and Correctional Facilities Administration had assumed control of the prison in the former SDF stronghold of Raqqa, and had begun an examination of prisoners' conditions and their records, the state-run SANA news agency reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stressed the "necessity of establishing diplomatic processes" following renewed military threats from US President Donald Trump. State news agency IRNA cited Pezeshkian as telling Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in a phone call that Iran had never sought war and was not seeking one now. According to the report, Iran "deeply believes that war will not benefit Iran, the United States, or the region."