Saudi Arabia in January 2026: the most important developments in security
In January 2026, Saudi Arabia's security news centered on Yemen and Iran. On 7 January, Saudi strikes in Yemen were reported alongside the political sidelining of the chief of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and a Yemeni minister accused an official of breaking promises by leaving Riyadh.
On 27 January, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was reported to have closed Saudi airspace for action against Iran. The same day, US President Donald Trump said Iran wanted to talk after a US fleet arrived in the Gulf. By month's end, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had been chosen for the Persian Gulf deployment.
In Syria, US fighter jets struck 35 Islamic State locations, according to Al Arabiya.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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