Iran as the head of an octopus and its armed proxies as the tentacles. This is a useful analogy for military strategy in the conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Has Israel's strategy changed?

The EU naval mission will help provide security for shipping in the Red Sea but will not partake in air strikes on Houthis in Yemen, who vow to stop attacks when Israel ends its war on Gaza

The hand of Iran has helped the Houthis expand. It now controls Yemen's capital and deep-water port while laying siege to its third city in a land of tribal loyalties and simmering feuds.

Iran is moving its proxy pieces around on the Middle East chessboard to pressure a ceasefire in Gaza while Israel tries to drag the US into a regional war

Overnight US and UK strikes on Thursday delivered a strong message to the Houthis: their attacks on global shipping in the Red Sea will not go unpunished

When the Yemen-based militia began targeting cargo ships through a narrow strait, it threw up several conundrums. It also garnered Arab support. What happens next will be important.

There's a great risk that the Gaza war's repercussions could spread elsewhere, from Baghdad to Beirut to the Red Sea

War is back. The horrendous violence seen in Gaza, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine during 2023 has raised concerns that conflict may become increasingly frequent in the coming years.

US marines have acted against raiders in the Bab al-Mandab strait, where Israel's war on Gaza has intensified a proxy battle between Iran and Israel. It is worrying traders, sailors and insurers.

Worsening water scarcity threatens much of the Arab world as Iraq struggles to plan for the future