Amidst Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s ongoing two-and-half weeklong visit to US, Saudi Arabian forces have intercepted seven missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah in retaliation to the continued bombing on civilian targets. One of the missiles was targeted on capital Riyadh.
According to official Alarabia.net, Turki al-Malki, spokesman for Arab Coalition said “This aggressive and hostile action by the Iran-backed Houthi group proves that the Iranian regime continues to support the armed group with military capabilities. The firing of multiple ballistic missiles towards cities is a serious development.”
It has also claimed of receiving a video covering the moment anti-missile defense missiles were fired from Saudi Patriot batteries to intercept the Houthi missile over the capital.
Since November last year, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militias have fired multiple missiles into Saudi Arabia, all of which Saudi forces have intercepted.
Meanwhile Tehran based Press TV reports that Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters and allied army units have carried out more retaliatory missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting several positions in the kingdom.
It further said, Yemen’s military targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha, Najran and Jizan regional airports with ballistic missiles. It quoted Saudi state television saying that its air force intercepted “some of the missiles over the northeastern part of the capital Riyadh on Sunday night”.
Official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has reported that Yemeni forces fired seven missiles into the kingdom killing an Egyptian resident and wounding two other Egyptian nationals. Turki al-Malki, the official spokesman for the coalition, has confirmed that the death and injuries occurred in a residential house and were caused by falling debris.
Meanwhile, Abdul Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi Ansarullah, has said that Saudi Arabia would not have dared to launch a campaign against Yemen if it had not received direct assistance from the US.
He was addressing live on state television on Sunday night on the third anniversary of the beginning of the Saudi led campaign. He said that the parties involved in the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen are backed by Washington, and are offered extensive military support as well as media coverage.
Al-Houthi alleged that Saudi Arabia and UAE were “puppet regimes” that are implementing US and Israeli plots in Yemen. He said, “The only parties benefiting from civil wars in the [Middle East] region are Americans and Israelis, who are responsible for most of the regional conflicts. The US is playing the principal intelligence and logistical role concerning the military aggression against Yemen.”
He further said, “Saudi Arabia is paying all the costs of the war on Yemen, and US officials are accordingly reaping substantial benefits. Aggressors want to take control of Yemen because of its highly strategic location.”
Describing his commitment with other oppressed people in the region, the Houthi leader extended his support to Palestinians and Bahraini counterparts. He said that Yemenis would never forget the sufferings of Palestinian nation and Bahraini people.
His opinions on the regional conflicts are similar to that of Iranian government. The basic tenets of the Iran’s Islamic revolution are clearly marked with their support to the oppressed Palestinians by Israeli forces and anti-Al-Khalifa regime movement, dominated by Shias in Bahrain. Iran does not recognise Israel as a country, instead Tehran calls the country a “Zionist entity”.
The Houthi Ansarullah leader also praised the Yemenis resistance against Saudi-led aggression, and said, “They wanted to bring us to our knees. However, they did not expect us to mount such spirited resistance because we do not want to give them any concessions.”
Earlier last week, Abdul Malik Badreddin al-Houthi had stressed that Saudi Arabia will finally fail in its all-out military aggression against Yemen as it failed in Syria and Iraq. He was speaking in an exclusive interview with Lebanon’s Arabic language Al-Akhbar daily newspaper.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights announced on Sunday, that the Saudi-led war has left 600,000 civilians killed and injured since March 2015.
United Nations say that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. It has warned against the “catastrophic” living conditions saying that there is a growing risk of famine and cholera in the country.
Yemen is facing sea, land and air blockade which started in 2015 with the positioning of Saudi Arabian warships. US had joined the blockade in October 2016, which was further constricted following the November 2017 launch of a Houthi missile targeting Riyadh airport.
Saudi authorities had claimed of intercepting the missile while Houthis claimed of hitting the target. Riyadh had alleged Iran for supplying the powerful missile, which was denied by Tehran.
India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.
According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.
The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM
During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.
The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.
The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.
Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request
The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.
According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.
Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.
India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction
The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.
The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.
During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.
Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.
Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.
He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.
“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.
The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.
Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says
Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.
“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.
His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.
The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.
The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.
The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
India and China among major Russian energy buyers
The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.
India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.
What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?
Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.
The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.
At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.
Bill also extends Iran sanctions law
The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.
The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.
The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.
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