Crisis Chronology | Saudi Arabia

SAUDI ARABIA

05/24/2026

Trump speaks to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to discuss the agreement with Iran. He says they all support the agreement, without details. He calls on them to sign the Abraham Accords to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. He said he hopes to speak with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu soon. He suggested that he wanted Iran to sign the Accords as well.

05/19/2026

Trump announces that an attack on Iran is being delayed at the request of Saudi Arabia and Israel, but that it could happen immediately on his command. He has announced and retracted numerous attacks on Iran on social media, although this seems to have been prepared by the military.

04/20/2026

In an official report on a call with Saudi crown prince bin Salman, China President Xi calls for an immediate ceasefire of the US-Iran war and for the Strait of Hormuz to be opened. It is the first time Xi has expressed an opinion on the war.

04/15/2026

Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif meets with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey to discuss resuming negotiations between Iran and the US.

03/30/2026

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to hold talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran.

03/28/2026

Iranian attacks have damaged or destroyed radar systems, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system and Reaper drones in attacks on US bases in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. On 3/27, an attack damaged multiple KC-135 tankers, which refuel US aircraft in flight, and an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, which is important for US defense systems in the region.

03/27/2026

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia sign mutual defense cooperation pact.

03/13/2026

Saudi Arabia cuts oil production by some 2 million barrels per day, to around 8 million bpd, after reducing output from two major offshore fields amid the Iran ‌war.

03/02/2026

Iran fires missiles and drones on the Saudi Aramco oil refinery, causing several large fires at the facility, and forcing its closure by Saudi authorities.

03/02/2026

With Iran destabilized, Saudi Arabia may seek to expand its role in the Middle East, Israel may seek to dominate security in Syria, Lebanon and perhaps parts of western Iraq, and Turkey may seek to expand into northern Syria and northern Iraq. China and Russia both need Iran to remain an ally.

03/02/2026

Iran thought to be targeting airports throughout the Arabian Peninsula to disrupt economics of the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz will significantly affect economies around the world, including China, India, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Stock markets around the world fall.

03/02/2026

Iran fires missiles and drones on the Saudi Aramco oil refinery, causing several large fires at the facility, and forcing its closure by Saudi authorities.

02/28/2026

US and Israel attack Iran

Israel launches an attack on Iran, calling it a preemptive strike, killing several Iranian high-ranking officials including supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The United States takes part in the attack on Iran with Trump announcing a "major U.S. combat operation" targeting Iranian missile facilities and naval assets, and calls on the Iranian military to overthrow Khamenei. Explosions are reported in Tehran, Iran, as U.S.-launched Tomahawk missiles strike Iranian targets, including the supreme leader's office. Satellite imagery confirms the destruction of Khamenei's compound. Iran launches ballistic missiles at a United States Navy facility in Bahrain, targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and Iranian drones strike residential areas of Manama. Iran launches missiles at Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE state that they have intercepted Iranian missiles. The U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Qatar instruct their personnel to shelter in place. At least two people are killed and five more are injured when an unidentified airstrike targets the Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in Iraq. Iranian Shahed drones strike Kuwait International Airport resulting in minor injuries to several airport workers as well as damage to the main terminal. The Dubai airport in the UAE is also targeted. Iran says it has launched a ballistic missile attack on Dubai with reports of multiple missiles striking the city.

03/04/2025

Arab leaders endorse an Egyptian plan for the rebuilding of Gaza that would allow its residents to remain. Egypt’s $53 billion plan foresees rebuilding Gaza by 2030 without removing its population. The first phase calls for starting the removal of unexploded ordnance and clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israel’s bombardment and military offensives. Egypt will host an international conference in cooperation with the United Nations for Gaza’s reconstruction, and a World Bank-overseen trust fund will be established to receive pledges to implement the early recovery and reconstruction plan.

02/28/2025

First phase of the negotiated ceasefire ends without a formal extension. Israel blocks aid shipments to Gaza to force Hamas to speed up the release of hostages, in an action it attributes to US envoy. Israel calls on Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire extension and negotiation on a permanent peace but does not offer to release more Palestinians. Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement, which called for the two sides to negotiate the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. But no substantive negotiations have been held. There are also disagreements between Hamas leaders in exile and Hamas leaders in Gaza about the degree of military action the organization should pursue and Arab leaders are reluctant to commit to the rebuilding of Gaza until that disagreement is settled in a way that leads to a stable environment. Some of the Arab leaders are unwilling to contribute anything unless Hamas completely abdicates Gaza.

01/08/2024

On a trip to the Mideast, US Secretary of State says that several Arab nations have expressed interest in helping plan for Gaza in the post war including: Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

11/11/2023

Saudi Arabia leads meeting of Arab nations over the Israel-Hamas war.

11/11/2023

Saudi Arabia leads meeting of Arab nations over the Israel-Hamas war.

10/07/2023

Hamas attacks Israel

Hamas attacks Israel by land, sea, and air in retaliation for past atrocities notably the attack on the Al-Aqsa mosque in 4/23. More than 5000 thousand missiles are fired at Israeli targets and there is an invasion across several border points with Israel by approximately 1500. At least 100 Israelis are killed and a substantial number are taken prisoner. There is widespread killing of civilians unrelated to any military objective. There is discussion that this attack, supported and equipped by Iran, is intended to rebalance Iran’s regional position, caused in part by the reported normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran may also have been behind a recent terrorist bombing in Ankara, Turkey, which caused Turkey to bomb PKK sites in Syria. The attack also took place on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. There is concern in Israeli intelligence at the failure to detect any sign of the preparation for the attack, which must have been substantial.

08/24/2023

At BRICS summit meeting, the group invites six countries to become members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

04/06/2023

Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers meet, for the first time since 2006, in Beijing.

03/23/2023

Saudi Arabia and Syria in talks to restore ties.

03/10/2023

In an agreement facilitated by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to normalize relationships. The process was known to the West and is possibly a new way to bring Iran into the larger international community. It is also a sign of China’s increasing influence in the Middle East, which it is also exerting throughout Africa and South and Southeast Asia in different ways.

12/07/2022

Chinese leader Xi visits Saudi Arabia to “bolster ties” and mark further economic agreements. Mohammed Bin Salman met with Xi in China in 2019.

11/17/2022

US State Department says in response to a court request, that Mohammed bin Salman because he is a sitting head of state, international law makes him immune from prosecution.

10/11/2022

Tension between US and Saudi Arabia over oil production cuts.

10/05/2022

OPEC+ countries (including Russia) agree to reduce oil output amid falling prices. Western countries object that this will support Putin’s financing of the war in Ukraine.

10/02/2022

Houthis and Yemeni government fail to reach agreement to extend the ceasefire.

09/27/2022

King Salman appoints Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister.

06/22/2022

Mohammed bin Salman visits Turkey, the first official contact with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

06/02/2022

OPEC-plus countries agree to lift oil production, perhaps in response to appeals from the US, which is experiencing high consumer gasoline prices that are hurting President Biden’s favorability polling. Only Saudi Arabia has the capacity to increase production, and it may not offset the decrease in Russian oil production caused by sanctions. Biden will visit Saudi Arabia, a sign of renewed rapprochement, later this month.

06/01/2022

Saudi Arabian coalition and Houthis agree to extend truce for two months. Negotiations making little progress.

04/29/2022

Turkey’s President Erdogan visits Saudi Arabia.

04/28/2022

Saudi Arabia announces it will release 163 Houthi prisoners as part of a humanitarian initiative.

04/26/2022

Saudi Arabia and France pledge to initial humanitarian projects in Lebanon to alleviate financial crisis.

04/20/2022

The new governing council is sworn in in Aden, although it is not yet clear whether it will reside in Aden or in Saudi Arabia.

04/07/2022

Hadi transfers powers

President Hadi transfers his powers to the new Presidential Leadership Council and dismisses Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, an Islamist-leaning general, who is resented by the Houthis for military campaigns in their northern stronghold and by some southerners for his role in the 1994 north-south civil war. Saudi Arabia pledges $3 billion in aid for the country. The leadership council will be headed by Rashad al-Alimi, an adviser to Hadi and former interior minister with the government of late President Ali Abdullah Saleh. There are The council has seven other members, all of whom have political and military influence on the ground in Yemen, including Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council — an umbrella group of heavily armed and well-financed militias supported by the UAE since 2015, and Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province, and Tariq Saleh, who has close ties with the UAE and is a militia leader and nephew of Ali Abdullah Saleh.

04/06/2022

Court suspends trial of Khashoggi’s assassins at the request of a prosecutor, because warrants could not be issued for the accused. He also requested that the trial be transferred to Saudi Arabia, which would almost certainly end it.

03/26/2022

Houthis announce three-day ceasefire and offer to make it permanent if the Saudi coalition ceases its military activity in Yemen. This follows a wave of drone and missile attacks in Saudi Arabia and revenge attacks on Sanaa and Hodeidah in Yemen.

03/23/2022

Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel meet for the first time.

03/21/2022

Lebanese PM Mikati vows to end all Lebanon-originated activities that affect the security of Saudi Arabia. Lebanon had criticized Saudi fighting in Yemen and Saudi Arabia had expelled Lebanese diplomats in 2021, saying that the structure of Lebanese government, which gives Hezbollah a strong voice, was detrimental to Saudi security. Saudi Arabia responds positively and says it will contribute to the restoration of Lebanon’s role in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal contributed to the financial meltdown in Lebanon.

02/20/2022

Saudi Arabia and Iran to continue talks, although there has been little progress in talks so far.

01/23/2022

Saudi coalition makes multiple airstrikes in Yemen in retaliation for Houthi drone attack on the UAE.

01/23/2022

Houthi missile attack, continuing the recent escalation of the war, thwarted by US and UAE.

01/16/2022

Houthi drone strikes UAE, setting oil tankers on fire and killing three. Saudi coalition retaliates.

10/04/2021

Saudi Arabia confirms that it held a fourth round of talks with Iran on 9/21.

08/28/2021

Saudi and Iranian representatives talk at Baghdad summit to continue seek talks begun in April, seeking “dialogue and peace.” The talks were halted when the new administration was elected in Iran.

08/27/2021

Opening of summit meeting in Iraq of Middle Eastern countries aimed at promoting stability in the region. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II have said they will attend, as has French President Emmanuel Macron, the only official expected from outside the region. Leaders from Saudi Arabia and Turkey were also invited. Iranian president Raisi has been invited, but has not responded, but the Iranian foreign minister will attend.

08/11/2021

Qatar appoints ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the first since the rift and blockade.

08/09/2021

More than 200 Saudi government employees are arrested on charges of corruption.

08/08/2021

About seventy Palestinians and Jordanians resident in Saudi Arabia are convicted of links to an unnamed terrorist group. Others were aquitted. They were arrested in 2018.

06/29/2021

Omani negotiators working with Saudi Arabia and Yemeni Houthis on a peace agreement.

04/28/2021

In an interview, Mohamed bin Salman says Saudi Arabia wants to improve relations with Iran and that the country has only minimal differences with the US, despite Pres Biden’s accusation that MBS ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

04/23/2021

Houthis advancing on Marib, a key gateway to Yemen’s oil and gas wealth. They have taken encouragement from the US’s decision to take them off the terrorist list. The UAE supports the Hadi government, but gains trade from instability because it shifts shipping from Aden to Dubai.

04/23/2021

Houthis advancing on Marib, a key gateway to Yemen’s oil and gas wealth. They have taken encouragement from the US’s decision to take them off the terrorist list. The UAE supports the Hadi government, but gains trade from instability because it shifts shipping from Aden to Dubai.

04/02/2021

Saudi foreign minister says that normalizing relations with Israel would be good for the region, but that it would depend on peace negotiations establishing a Palestinian state.

04/01/2021

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visits Saudi Arabia.

03/22/2021

Saudi Arabia proposes a cease-fire in Yemen that would allow for the Sanaa airport to reopen. Houthis reject the proposal, calling for a complete lifting of the blockade of the Sanaa airport and the Hodeidah port.

03/22/2021

Saudi Arabia proposes a cease-fire in Yemen that would allow for the Sanaa airport to reopen. Houthis reject the proposal, calling for a complete lifting of the blockade of the Sanaa airport and the Hodeidah port.

03/07/2021

Saudi coalition launches air strikes against Houthis.

03/06/2021

Houthis attack Saudi oil facility.

03/02/2021

US imposes some sanctions on Saudi individuals in response to the publication of a US intelligence report fixing responsibility for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder on Mohammed bin Salmon, but not on MBS himself.

02/04/2021

US ends support of Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.

01/05/2021

Qatar blockade ended

Saudi Arabia announces that the Gulf states -- Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates – along with Egypt have agreed to end their blockade of and restore full diplomatic ties with Qatar in an agreement on “solidarity and stability” for the region.

12/09/2020

India army chief visits UAE and Saudi Arabia to discuss “strategic and defence cooperation,” the first visit by an Indian head of the military.

11/22/2020

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu travels to Saudi Arabia for talks with Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is the first meeting ever between an Israeli leader and a Saudi leader. Saudi Arabia official denies that such a meeting took place.

11/18/2020

Key border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Iraq reopened after thirty years, a sign of warming relations between the two countries.

11/15/2020

An unofficial, but urged by some authorities, boycott of Turkish goods is gaining ground in Saudi Arabia.

08/09/2020

Saudi Aramco reports a 50% drop in earnings in the first half of 2020, but says it will pay the expected dividend.

07/20/2020

King Salman is admitted to hospital.

07/13/2020

Houthis launch missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia during an overnight attack that hits Saudi warplanes, military installations, an airport and the Jizan oil facility.

06/23/2020

Missiles from Yemen target several Saudi cities.

06/05/2020

Blockade of Qatar remains in effect.

04/29/2020

Saudi cabinet calls on Houthis to abide by peace agreement.

04/27/2020

Governors of several south Yemen governates affirm their loyalty to the Hadi government.

04/27/2020

Southern Transitional Council in Yemen says it is in complete control of Aden.

04/27/2020

Saudi coalition rejects Houthis declaration of independence and demands an end to violence and a return to the term sof the peace deal signed last year.

04/26/2020

Southern Transitional Council declares an independent state including Aden.

04/26/2020

King Salman partially lifts curfews, except for Mecca. Saudi Arabia has more thant 16000 cases and 130 deaths.

04/26/2020

Saudi Arabia lifts curfew imposed due to COVID-19.

04/24/2020

Saudi coalition extends unilateral cease-fire for a month. No word for Houthis said to reject any further negotiations.

04/12/2020

Russia and Saudi Arabia announce an agreement to reduce production. However, many financial entities say it is too little, too late, and markets fall.

04/10/2020

Mexico refuses to cut oil production to the extent agreed on by the OPEC+ group, led by Saudi Arabia and including Russia. Russia had demanded that other nations outside OPEC, including the US and Canada also cut production. The US has become the world’s largest oil producer.

04/08/2020

Saudi coalition declares unilateral two-week cease-fire in Yemen partly, it says, in response to UN appeal for restriction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/04/2020

OPEC meeting delayed. A few hours earlier, Saudi Arabia attacked Russia for the rift between the countries on oil production.

04/01/2020

Houthis contact Saudi Arabia through intermediaries in an attempt to de-escalate recent military conflict.

03/31/2020

Saudi coalition bombs Sanaa, currently held by Houthis.

03/28/2020

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi offers to release five Saudi prisoners of war in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinian activists arrested by the Saudi government.

03/25/2020

Turkish court indicts Saudi suspects in the killing of Adnan Khashoggi.

03/11/2020

Saudi Arabia announces that it will increase oil production.

03/07/2020

Mohammed bin Salman has four senior princes, including King Salman’s yuonger brother, arrested.

03/06/2020

OPEC fails to agree on supply cut. Russia also refuses to cut supply. Oil prices drop significantly, contributing to worldwide stock sell-off also fueled by COVID-19 impact.

02/21/2020

Locust swarms invade Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

02/11/2020

Saudi prince condemns US-Israel peace plan.

01/22/2020

UN report says that Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the hacking of Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon and the Washington Post, where Jamal Khashoggi worked when he was killed by Saudi operatives.

12/18/2019

Pakistan pulls out of a meeting of Muslim nations in Malaysia scheduled to start 12/19. The Saudis had expressed concern that the meeting would create a rival bloc to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

12/10/2019

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim sends foreign minister to the GCC meeting in his place, casting a pall over Gulf reconciliation.

12/04/2019

Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Yousuf Bin Alawi, presiding over indirect negotiations between Houthis and Saudi Arabia, says both sides agree it is time to end the conflict.

12/03/2019

King Salman invites Qatar to GCC meeting 12/10.

11/20/2019

Houthis release Saudi and South Korean ships captured recently.

11/17/2019

Saudi Arabia launches public offering of Aramco, 1.5% of its stock, worth billions of dollars and perhaps trillions. It is part of an effort to move away economic dependence on oil.

11/14/2019

Saudi Arabia and Houthis conducting indirect talks on peace in Yemen.

11/13/2019

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE announce that they will participate in the Arabian Gulf Cup to be held in Qatar, a signal of thawing relations. The attack on Aramco in September has moved Saudi Arabia toward a more cooperative approach.

10/13/2019

Government says that Saudi troops have taken control of Aden from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.

10/12/2019

US to send more troops to Saudi Arabia.

10/10/2019

Iranian oil tanker hit by rockets off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

10/01/2019

Iran says it is open to dialogue with Saudi Arabia.

09/28/2019

Houthis say they have captured more than 2000 Saudi coalition fighters in an attack on Saudi territory.

09/25/2019

Rouhani says that Iran is willing to resume adhering to the JPCOA if US sanctions are lifted. It would also agree to further negotiations on details of the treaty then. Imran Khan says Trump asked him to mediate with Iran, as did Saudi Arabia. French Pres Macron says conditions are in place for Rouhani and Trump to talk.

09/20/2019

US imposes new sanctions on the Iran national bank and announces plans to send some more troops to Saudi Arabia.

09/18/2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls the bombing of Saudi oil facilities “an act of war.” Iran threatens “all-out war” if there is a military strike on the country.

09/16/2019

US Pres Trump plays down prospect of a military response. Oil prices spike. Saudis do not directly blame Iran for the attack, although they say they will respond “forcefully.”

09/15/2019

US Pres Trump suggests that US is ready for an armed response to drone strikes, but waiting for Saudi Arabia to direct it.

09/14/2019

Drone attacks by Houthis destroy major oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, cutting its oil production in half. US and SAudi Arabia blame Iran for the attacks. Iran denies this. Houthis claim responsibility but there is conflicting evidence.

09/03/2019

UN report says US, UK, and France may be complicit in possible war crimes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

08/11/2019

Saudi forces intervene, and the STC says it will not “negotiate under duress” with their nominal ally.

08/10/2019

Forces of the Southern Separatist Movement capture Aden from the Hadi government military according to reports by the Security Belt, a militia aligned with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council. Hadi calls it a coup, though the STC had been supporting the Hadi government. Hadi remains in Saudi Arabia. In July, the UAE had pulled all its forces out of Aden, and attacks by the Houthis on the Security Belt had created tensions with the Hadi forces.

06/19/2019

UN report says that Khashoggi’s killing was ordered by the state, although it does not accuse any individuals.

05/31/2019

Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member group, issues a statement supporting Palestine and condemning US embassy move to Jerusalem, and condemns Iran for aggression in the region.

05/21/2019

Houthis carry out a second drone attack in Saudi Arabia.

05/13/2019

UAE reports that four of its commercial vessels suffered damage in th Gulf of Oman en route to Saudi Arabia to pick up oil to be shipped to the US. Some suspect that Iran is responsible, which it denies.

04/19/2019

US Pres Trump vetoes bill that would end US funding for Yemen war

02/21/2019

Mohammed bin Salman begins trip to India, Pakistan, and China to build support.

02/19/2019

Mohammed bin Salman and China agree on joint venture facility in northeast China.

02/13/2019

EU adds Saudi Arabia, Panama, and Libya, among others, to its list of countries scrutinized for money laundering and terrorist financing.

02/08/2019

News report says that an intelligence intercept from last year has Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman saying he would use “a bullet” to silence Khashoggi if the journalist could not be brought back to Saudi Arabia.

01/31/2019

Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE meet “to align policy.”

01/03/2019

Government asks for the death penalty for five at the trial for eleven accused suspects in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

12/17/2018

Relative calm in Hodeida.

12/16/2018

Canada looking into abrogating multi-billion-dollar arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

12/16/2018

Saudi Arabia denounces US Senate votes as interference.

12/13/2018

UN reports that Houthis and Saudi coalition have reached a ceasefire agreement about Hodeidah and another city, Taiz.

12/13/2018

US Senate passes a law denying funds to Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen and a separate resolution holding Mohammed bin Salaam responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

12/13/2018

Continuing discussions initiated by the Saudis about a regional alliance of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

12/03/2018

Qatar says it will leave OPEC, although it says the move is not related to its feud with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other states participating in the blockade.

12/03/2018

Some wounded Houthis to be evacuated from Yemen by the UN as a way of building confidence about peace talks, which are expected to be held in Sweden, although there is no date set yet.

11/23/2018

UN envoy Martin Griffiths holds talks in Hodeida with the goal of the UN taking over control of the port. Both the Abdel Malik al-Houthi and the Saudi coalition have agreed in principle to participate in that and to attempt to negotiate further.

11/22/2018

Turkey objects to US decision not to hold Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the murder of Khashoggi.

11/20/2018

US decides not to assert that Mohamed bin Salman was personally responsible for the killing of Khashoggi, despite a contrary assessment by the intelligence community. Pres Trump says that the arms agreements and Saudi assistance against Iran is too important to risk a break with Saui Arabia.

11/19/2018

Saudi Arabia protests that the US has betrayed it by issuing many waivers on oil exports to Iran that the price of oil dropped sharply, and that it will cut oil exports in December.

11/15/2018

Saudis call halt advance on Hodeida.

11/15/2018

Saudi prosecutor asks for death penalty for five people involved in Khashoggi killing, including the deputy head of intelligence.

11/15/2018

US sanctions 17 Saudis for their role in the killing of Khashoggi.

11/15/2018

Saudi prosecutor acknowledges that Khashoggi’s killing was premeditated, saying it was a rogue operation, and seeks death penalty against them.

11/11/2018

Erdogan says that recordings of the killing of Khashoggi was issued to Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Canadian PM Trudeau says that Canada has also heard the tapes. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says that France has not heard the tapes and US Secretary of State Pompeo has not said he has heard the tapes.

11/11/2018

Saudi-led coalition making progress in the assault and Hodeida.

10/31/2018

Following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on 10/30 and US Secretary of Defense on 10/27, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt calls for a ceasefire in the Yemen war.

10/27/2018

Saudi Arabia suggests that extradition of suspects in the Khashoggi killing is not necessary because they will be held accountable in Saudi Arabia.

10/25/2018

Saudi public prosecutor says that Turkish information suggests that Khashoggi’s murder was “premeditated.”

10/25/2018

Saudi prosecutor announces that he will visit Turkey on 10/28 to investigate Khashoggi killing.

10/23/2018

In a state address, Erdogan accuses Saudi Arabia of planning and carrying out the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, and calls for the perpetrators to be tried in Turkey.

10/23/2018

Saudi prosecutor announces that he will visit Turkey on 10/28 to investigate Khashoggi killing.

10/23/2018

US revokes visas for Saudis shown to have taken part in Khashoggi’s killing.

10/23/2018

Pakistan receives a $6 billion loan from Saudi Arabia.

10/22/2018

Saudis admit that Khashoggi killing was a mistake.

10/19/2018

Saudi Arabia prosecutor says the Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a fistfight with his interrogators. The explanation is widely dismissed as not credible. The government fires five top officials and arrests eighteen others, including top intelligence officer Ahmed al-Assiri.

10/16/2018

Multiple inconclusive reports on the killing of Khashoggi. Turkey reports that the reporter was murdered in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, but Erdogan suggests that he is willing to talk. US sends Secretary of State Pompeo to Saudi Arabia, and in their meeting Mohammed bin Salman denies any knowledge of a kidnapping/murder plot. There are rumors that Saudi Arabia will admit that Khashoggi died during a failed interrogation, but no official announcement.

10/09/2018

Turkey and Kuwait sign a mutual defense pact to share military experience and coordinate activities beginning in 2019. Kuwait has become increasingly concerned about Saudi activities in the region, and Turkey has an interest in providing protection for Qatar because of its support of the Muslim Brotherhood, a key part of Erdogan’s support. Tension between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia began in 2014, over a dispute about their common oil fields Khafji and Wafra. The Saudis unilaterally stopped product when Kuwait objected to Chevron being part of the operation, and Kuwait estimated it lost $18 billion in revenue and wants to be compensated. However the two countries have been at odds since the 1913 agreement about the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Saudi Arabia objected to the boundaries drawn and forced the British to give them two-thirds of Kuwait’s territory.

10/09/2018

Disappearance of journalist leads to international attention

After disappearance on 10/6 of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist highly critical of Saudi government, Turkey suggests that Saudi government had him seized at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and murdered.

10/01/2018

Iran fires missiles at what it calls “terrorists” in Syria, but connects the attack to the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

10/01/2018

Iran fires missiles at what it calls “terrorists” in Syria, but connects the attack to the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

08/28/2018

UN report suggests that all sides in the Yemen conflict may have committed war crimes.

08/22/2018

Saudi oil giant Aramco calls off planned initial public offering, announced as a key step in Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s modernization of the country.

08/05/2018

Government suspends diplomatic ties with Canada after Canada calls for release of imprisoned women’s rights activists.

08/05/2018

Saudi-led coalition said to have made deals with Al-Qaeda fighters to leave key cities in Yemen, which it then touted as military victories.

07/31/2018

Houthis unilaterally halt attacks in the Red Sea for two weeks to support peace efforts, saying the halt could be extended and expanded. The Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers, impelling Saudi Arabia to suspend shipments in the Red Sea until it is safe.

07/29/2018

Iraqi electricity minister is fired. Saudi Arabia reported to be sending fuel to southern Iraq at highly reduced rate.

07/28/2018

King Salman reported to have reassured Abbas and other Arab allies that Saudi Arabia will not endorse any peace plan that does not address Jerusalem or the right of return, such as the plan being developed by Trump advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner with Israel.

07/10/2018

Swiss prosecutor investigating two officials of a Saudi energy company and two UAE investment fund officials in connection with Malaysian 1MDB fund.

06/23/2018

OPEC agrees to increase production, a pledge that will be fulfilled by countries with spare capacity, notably Algeria, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

06/21/2018

OPEC countries, plus Russia, gather to discuss output. Saudi Arabia is urging increasing production, but Iran and others object. Venezuelan production has dropped, and Iran production may be reduced by re-imposition of US sanctions.

06/12/2018

Saudi-led coalition begins major attack to retake Hodeidah. If the port city is taken, most of the supplies shipped to Sanaa will be cut off, which would likely exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in rebel-held territory.

06/11/2018

Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait pledge $2.5 billion in aid to Jordan, both to mitigate austerity measures and for some development projects.

01/29/2018

Saudi corruption purge nearly resolved, though 95 of 185 remain in custody. Most detainees are agreeing to cash settlements and a very few have been declared innocent.

01/06/2018

After dissatisfaction with new value-added tax on goods and services, King Salman orders cash payouts to civil servants, military, and students. A new welfare system also reaches millions of new beneficiaries.

01/03/2018

Saudi-led coalition said to have cut a main Houthi supply line in northern Yemen.

12/21/2017

Saudi Arabia says it will allow humanitarian aid to Yemen.

12/18/2017

Houthi rocket attack on Riyadh. Iran denies supplying the missile.

12/05/2017

Iran Pres Rouhani urges Muslims to disrupt efforts to build ties with Israel. The statement may be aimed at Saudi Arabia.

12/05/2017

Hariri withdraws resignation after Lebanon cabinet affirms its disengagement from conflicts in the Arab world. Hezbollah agrees to remove its fighters from Iraq after the Islamic State is declared defeated.

12/05/2017

Saudi Arabia says that most of those detained have agreed to settlements exchange for pardons. Their names have not been released.

12/05/2017

Hariri withdraws resignation after Lebanon cabinet affirms its disengagement from conflicts in the Arab world. Hezbollah agrees to remove its fighters from Iraq after the Islamic State is declared defeated.

12/04/2017

Saudi-led coalition bombs Houthi positions in Sana’a.

12/04/2017

Former president Saleh is killed in an attack by Houthis.

12/03/2017

Saudi forces bomb positions in Sana’a in support of Saleh.

12/02/2017

Former president Saleh, whose camp has been fighting with the Houthis, says that he ready to negotiate with the opposing side, supported by the Saudi coalition, while fighting continues. There are reports that the UAE convinced Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman that breaking the Houthi-Saleh alliance would end the war.

11/26/2017

A new alliance against terrorism is announced in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition comprises 41 countries, predominantly Sunni Muslim ones. Some see it as an alliance against the Syria/Iraq/Iran axis supported by Russia.

11/24/2017

Saudi Arabia allows UN to resume flights to Yemen.

11/17/2017

Saudi government reportedly asking detainees for financial payments in return for their freedom.

11/13/2017

Saudi Arabia says it will reopen Yemen ports, but objects to the characterization of their move being a blockade.

11/09/2017

Saudi blockade of Yemen creating possibility of catastrophic famine, UN says.

11/09/2017

Saad Hariri’s party calls for him to return to Lebanon. Saudi Arabia says that he is free to travel.

11/09/2017

Saudi Arabia says that more than 200 people have been detained in anti-corruption investigation.

11/06/2017

A Saudi prince is reported to have been killed when he tried to resist arrest.

11/06/2017

Saudis bar Yemen Pres Hadi, whose government is in Saudi Arabia from returning to Yemen, at the demand of the UAE.

11/06/2017

Hezbollah in Lebanon calls for calm. Pres Aoun has not formally accepted Hariri’s resignation.

11/05/2017

Saudi Arabia declares that the missile fired from Yemen is an act of war by Hezbollah and faults the government of Lebanon for failing to stop aggression by its military arm.

11/05/2017

After a missile is intercepted near Riyadh, Saudi coalition bombs areas near Sanaa heavily and blocks all its land, sea, and air ports.

11/04/2017

Anti-corruption crackdown

Saudi Arabia announces the arrest of 11 princes, 4 ministers, and many others on corruption charges. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has also reduced the power of the clerics, both by introducing civil reforms and ordering clerics to support his regime.

11/04/2017

Saudi prince is killed in a helicopter crash near Yemen border.

11/04/2017

Lebanese PM Saad Hariri resigns, while in Saudi Arabia, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of fomenting discord in the Arab world. Pres Michel Aoun must appoint a Sunni as PM. An assassination plot against Hariri was recently foiled. Many feel that Saudi Arabia called for his resignation to make focus attention on Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran.

10/30/2017

Saudi officials say that women will be allowed to attend sports events in 2018.

10/30/2017

Saudi officials say that women will be allowed to attend sports events in 2018.

10/25/2017

US, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE impose sanctions on Islamic State and Al Qaeda supporters funding war in Yemen. Qatar showing its support for combating terrorism.

10/25/2017

Recently elevated Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman says that Saudi Arabia will move to “moderate Islam” as part of an effort to modernize.

10/22/2017

In a rare act of coordination, Saudi Arabia and Iraq agree to work together against the Islamic State and to rebuild areas of Iraq.

09/26/2017

A royal decree allows women to drive next year, although many begin immediately. It is the last country in the world to bar women from driving.

12/-0001

Iran strikes at Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.