World Crisis Chronology
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A
08/15/2021Taliban takes control of government
05/17/2020Power-sharing government formed
02/28/2020Afghan peace agreement
02/18/2020Ghani re-elected
09/29/2014Ghani and Abdullah Sworn In
09/07/2010Kabul Bank Scandal
01/04/2003Loya Jiraga Agrees to New Constitution
09/11/2001September 11th, 2001
07/08/2019Free trade agreement initiated
07/09/2002OUA Becomes African Union
06/11/2019Presidential impeachment proceedings begin
08/02/1993Albania Classes as Least Developed by UN
06/15/2021Ruling coalition retains control of parliament
12/12/2019Former PM elected president
03/11/2019Bouteflika rescinds presidential run
11/19/2023Milei elected president
08/31/2020Government reschedules debt
10/27/2019Fernandez wins presidency
06/20/2021Pashinyan reelected
11/09/2020Nagorno-Karabakh peace agreement
01/14/2019Pashinyan becomes prime minister
05/21/2022Labour Party wins election
05/19/2019Liberals win re-election
12/02/2021Prime minister resigns
10/09/2021Kurz resigns
01/01/2020Kurz forms new coalition
05/19/2019Kurz calls new elections after scandal
11/09/2020Nagorno-Karabakh peace agreement

B
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
01/20/2022Government reelected
11/29/2021Full independence
10/21/2021Mason elected president
05/24/2018BLP dominates elections
08/10/2020Lukashenko declared re-eleted
09/30/2020Governing coalition formed
03/17/2020Temporary government installe
10/27/2019Wilmes named prime minister
12/19/2018Michel resigns
01/13/2023Ruling coalition reelected
04/14/2021Talon reelected
10/19/2018Newly created party wins government
11/10/2019Morales resigns
01/25/2023Kristo government approved
01/25/2023Kristo government approved
01/23/2023Kristo government approved
01/23/2023Kristo government approved
10/07/2018Serbian ally wins Bosnian Serb presidency
10/25/2019Ruling party re-elected
04/01/2019Masisi appointed president
10/30/2022Da Silva wins presidency
10/28/2018Bolsonaro elected president
09/30/2016Rousseff impeached; Michel Temer assumes presidency
09/14/2016Prosecutors file corruption charges against Lula da Silva
04/18/2016The House of Representatives impeaches Dilma Rousseff
09/07/2014Effects of corruption scandal Operation Car Wash widespread in the government
08/18/2011Corruption accusations affecting Rousseff’s administration
10/31/2010Dilma Rousseff elected president
10/30/2006Lula da Silva wins second term as president
06/04/2005Corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash impacting government
10/27/2002Lula da Silva elected president
11/13/1998IMF agrees to $41.3 billion bailout for Brazil
09/03/1994Fernando Cardoso elected president
04/02/2023Government reelected
06/22/2022Government falls
12/14/2021New government confirmed
11/19/2021We Continue the Change wins plurality
07/12/2021New governing party claims victory
09/30/2022Another coup replaces government
01/24/2022Kaboré deposed
12/11/2021New prime minister appointed
12/08/2021Government falls
12/08/2021Government falls
11/30/2015Kaboré elected president
05/25/2020Ndayishimiye elected president
08/20/2000Peace accord signed

C
08/22/2023Hun Sen transfers power to son
10/22/2018Biya elected to a seventh term
09/20/2021Ruling party retains government
10/22/2019Liberals retain government
09/11/2019Elections called
04/19/2021Ruling party retains power
01/04/2021Touadéra re-elected
12/27/2020General election
03/01/2016Touadéra elected president
05/09/2024Déby declared president
05/03/2021New government named
04/20/2021Deby is killed
12/19/2021Boric elected president
11/15/2019Referendum scheduled
12/17/2017Sebastián Piñera elected president
03/22/2018US-China trade war
10/24/2017President Xi elevated
06/17/2018Duque elected president
01/16/2024Assoumani reelected
01/23/2020Ruling government re-elected
05/05/2016Assoumani affirmed president
07/06/2018Cook Islands Party to form government
06/14/2018Democratic Party wins parliament
04/03/2022Chaves elected president
07/05/2020Ruling party wins legilsative elections
01/04/2020Milanovic elected president
11/08/2021Governing coalition formed
10/09/2021Opposition wins parliamentary majority
06/27/2018Babis forms new goverment
01/16/2018Government falls

D
01/28/2021Prime minister removed
01/09/2019Tshisekedi declared president amid controversy
11/02/2022Government retains majority
11/26/2016New governing coalition
12/06/2019Governing party retains majority
07/07/2020Opposition wins presidency

E
04/21/2022Ramos-Horta elected president
05/17/2023Parliament dissolved
04/12/2021Lasso elected president
01/10/2026Sisi retains power
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
01/04/2024Bukele reelected
02/28/2021Bukele retains power
02/04/2019Bukele elected president
11/26/2022Obiang reelected.
08/31/2021Karis elected president
01/25/2021New government formed
01/13/2021Government falls
04/17/2019New government formed
03/25/2022Ceasefire declared
11/04/2020Government invades Tigray
09/12/1974Selassie government overthrown
11/02/1930Selassie becomes emperor
02/24/2022Russia invades Ukraine
12/24/2020Agreement on UK exit from EU
01/29/2020EU approves Brexit
01/23/2020UK exit confirmed
10/17/2019EU and UK agree on Brexit
12/19/2018EU accepts Italian budget
06/29/2018EU summit on migration

F
12/20/2022New ruling coalition
02/11/2024Stubb elected president
04/02/2023Opposition wins election
05/11/2022Government to apply to NATO
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
06/19/2022Government reelected
04/24/2022Macron reelected

G
09/04/2023Coup leader assumes presidency
08/30/2023Military Coup
08/30/2023Bongo re-elected
10/26/2024Georgian Dream retains power
02/22/2021Garibashvili elected prime minister
02/18/2021Prime minister resigns
11/21/2020Georgian Dream claims victory in parliament
09/08/2019Gakharia elected prime minister
09/02/2019Prime minister resigns
11/28/2018Zurabishvili elected president
06/13/2018Government falls
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/23/2025Conservatives lead voting
09/26/2021Ruling coalition unseated
12/10/2020Akufo-Addo is re-elected
07/07/2019New Democracy wins parliament
06/22/2022NDC wins election
01/14/2024Arevalo inaugurated
08/11/2019Giammattei elected president
02/28/2024New prime minister
09/05/2021Coup deposes Condé
10/24/2020Condé reelected
03/28/2020Constitutional referendum approved
02/05/2020Embalo wins presidency
01/01/2020Embalo elected president
08/02/2020Irfaan Ali becomes president
12/05/2021Barrow reelected

H
07/20/2021Ariel Henry becomes interim prime minister
07/07/2021Moïse assassinated
10/18/2018Protests over corruption
11/29/2016Moïse elected
02/07/2016Martelly resigns
11/30/2021Ruling party ousted
04/28/2019Proposed extradition law sparks protests
08/31/2014China limits democracy in Hong Kong
04/03/2022Fidesz retains government
12/06/2020Orban resigns after parliamentary election

I
02/25/2021India-Pakistan ceasefire
05/23/2019BJP retains power
02/15/2024Subianto elected president
05/21/2019Widodo re-elected
06/18/2026Memorandum of Understanding agreement
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
07/06/2024Pezeshkian elected president
10/07/2023Hamas attacks Israel
06/18/2021Ebrahim Raisi elected president
01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian
05/08/2019Iran ends some aspects of nuclear agreement
04/08/2019US adds sanctions on Iran
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
10/13/2022New heads of state
01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian
10/02/2018Abdul Mahdi named prime minister
12/08/2017Iraq declares victory over the Islamic State
01/23/2025Martin elected Taoiseach
04/09/2024Harris becomes Taoiseach
06/27/2020Martin becomes taoiseach
07/06/2026Gaza government dissolved
06/18/2026Memorandum of Understanding agreement
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
10/09/2025Ceasefire announced
06/23/202512-day war ends
06/22/2025US bombs Iran nuclear sites
06/13/202512-day war begins
01/15/2025Israel and Hamas agree on ceasefire
11/27/2024Ceasefire in Lebanon-Israel conflict
12/22/2022Netanyahu forms new government
11/03/2022Netanyahu coalition wins election
06/20/2022New elections called
06/13/2021New coalition government takes office
12/22/2020New elections called
04/20/2020Agreement on unity government
03/26/2020Gantz elected parliament speaker
09/17/2019Election produces no majority party
10/22/2022Meloni elected prime minister
07/21/2022Draghi resigns again
07/14/2022Draghi resigns
02/12/2021Draghi becomes prime minister
01/26/2021Conte resigns
01/19/2021Conte survives no-confidence vote
12/19/2018EU accepts Italian budget
06/01/2018Five Star/League government accepted
03/05/2018Populist parties lead election results
10/31/2020Ouattara re-elected
07/04/2018Government dissolved

J
09/10/2020Ruling party retains power
09/10/2020Ruling party retains power
11/11/2024New government formed
10/31/2021Ruling coalition retains majority
09/29/2021Kishida to be prime minister
08/25/2020Abe resigns for health reasons
07/21/2019Abe reelected with reduced majority
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran

K
11/21/2022Tokayev reelected
01/10/2021Ruling Party retains power
06/10/2019Tokayev is elected president
03/19/2019Nazarbeyev resigns
02/21/2019Nazarbeyev fires government
08/15/2022Ruto wins disputed election
06/23/2020Maamau re-elected
11/05/2020Thaci resigns
06/03/2020Avdullah Hoti becomes prime minister
03/26/2020Government falls
02/03/2020Albin Kurti elected prime minister
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
11/08/2021Government resigns
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
01/10/2021Jasparov is elected president
10/15/2020Jeenbekov resigns
10/06/2020Election annulled

L
06/18/2026Memorandum of Understanding agreement
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
11/27/2024Ceasefire in Lebanon-Israel conflict
07/26/2021Prime minister appointed
10/22/2020Hariri again prime minister
04/28/2020Protests intensify
01/21/2020Diab becomes prime minister
10/29/2019Hariri resigns
10/17/2019Protests begin
11/04/2017PM Saad Hariri resigns
05/19/2020Thabane resigns
05/11/2020Government collapses
01/16/2020Thabane agrees to resign
11/17/2023Bokai elected president
12/28/2017George Weah is elected president
02/06/2021Interim prime minister chosen
10/23/2020Ceasefire agreement
12/17/2015Unity government agreement
11/22/2020Skvernelis again prime minister

M
11/27/2023Rajoelina reelected
01/09/2019Rajoelina victory affirmed
06/23/2020Chakwera elected president
02/03/2020Election nullified
05/27/2019Mutharika is re-elected
11/24/2022Anwar named prime minister
08/20/2021Ismail named prime minister
03/01/2020Muhyiddin elected prime minister
02/24/2020Matathir resigns
04/07/2019Nasheed’s party regains control
09/23/2018Solih elected president
02/05/2018State of emergency imposed
02/02/2018Threat of impeachment
11/21/2024New prime minister
05/27/2021Coup leader assumes presidency
05/24/2021Military ousts transitional government
09/22/2020Interim president appointed
08/18/2020Keita deposed in army coup
04/23/2019Cisse appointed prime minster
08/15/2018Keïta re-elected
03/27/2022Labou reelected
01/05/2020Kabua elected president
06/03/2024Sheinbaum elected president
07/01/2018Lopez Obrador elected president
07/14/2021PAS wins elections
12/23/2020Prime minister resigns
06/14/2019Plahotniuc resigns
01/02/2018President Dodon suspended again
10/17/2017President again suspeded
10/17/2017President suspended
11/13/2016Dodon elected president
04/23/2015Bank fraud revelation
02/25/2023Ruling Party Wins in Landslide
02/25/2023Ruling Party Wins in Landslide
02/24/2022Government falls
12/03/2020Opposition forms new government
08/31/2020Opposition wins government
09/22/2021Governing coalition formed
09/09/2021Governing party voted out
10/28/2019Nyusi re-elected
08/01/2021General assumes prime ministership
02/01/2021Military resumes control
11/09/2020Suu Kyi’s party claims election win
10/10/2016Outburst of violence between government and Rohingya Muslim minority

N
12/03/2019Geingob re-elected
02/24/2022Russia invades Ukraine
09/28/2022New president elected
08/27/2019Aingimea elected president
12/25/2022Prachanda again prime minister
07/12/2021Court declares new prime minister
05/25/2021Parliament dissolved
12/20/2020Elections called
12/15/2017Left Alliance gains majority
05/28/2024Prime minister named
11/22/2023Far-right party wins plurality
12/16/2021Rutte returns in new government
03/18/2021Rutte government re-elected
01/15/2021Rutte government falls
10/10/2017Rutte to form government
03/15/2017Parliamentary election
01/25/2023Hipkins appointed prime minister
01/18/2023Ardern to resign
10/17/2020Ardern reelected
10/17/2020Ardern reelected
11/07/2021Ortega reelected
04/18/2018Widespread protests against government
11/06/2016Ortega re-elected
02/23/2021Bazoum elected president
05/08/2017Osinbajo named acting president
05/17/2016First Chibok girl is found.
03/31/2015Muhammadu Buhari is elected president
10/20/2014Nigeria declared free of Ebola.
04/14/2014Chibok girls kidnapped.
04/13/2011Jonathan elected president
10/18/2010Rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria
05/05/2010President Yar’Adua dies
01/12/2010Pres. Yar’Adua undergoing treatment
02/25/2006Rise of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
04/22/2003Obasanjo reelected president
06/08/1998Abacha dies; Gen. Abubakar named president
12/17/1993Abacha takes power
02/02/1993Shonekan appointed head of state
08/27/1985Gen. Babangida takes power
12/31/1983Major Gen. Buhari takes power
02/13/1976Obasanjo takes power
05/30/1967Biafra created
01/15/1966Regional tensions generate a coup
10/01/1960Independence
06/12/2018US-North Korea summit
04/27/2018Panmunjon Declaration
03/08/2018US-North Korea summit announced
07/02/2017ICBM test
02/13/2017Kim Jong-nam assassinated
05/06/2016Seventh Workers’ Party congress
03/02/2016UN increases sanctions
01/05/2016Reported hydrogen bomb test
12/17/2014Sony cyberattack
12/12/2013Jang Song-thaek executed
03/11/2013North Korea ends ceasefire with South Korea
12/18/2011Kim Jong-il dies
12/01/2009Economic crisis
12/11/2008End of nuclear weapons talks
07/09/2005Nuclear weapons talks
07/08/1994Kim Il-sung dies
10/31/2021Prime minister resigns
01/03/2020Zaev resigns
10/18/2019New elections called
05/05/2019Pendarovski wins presidency
01/25/2019New name is approved
05/13/2022Government shut down
01/11/2020Government restored
09/13/2021Labour Party wins parliament
01/17/2019Solberg forms majority government

O
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended

P
03/03/2024Sharif reelected prime minister
02/14/2024Sharif PM in coalition government
02/25/2021Pakistan-India ceasefire
07/06/2026Gaza government dissolved
10/09/2025Ceasefire announced
01/15/2025Israel and Hamas agree on ceasefire
05/06/2019Cortizo wins presidency
05/04/2014Varela wins presidency
05/03/2009Martinelli wins presidency
08/09/2022Marape reelected
12/10/2019Bougainville votes for independence
05/29/2019O'Neill resigns
06/18/2018State of emergency imposed
05/01/2023Peña reelected
04/23/2018Benitez elected president
12/07/2022Castillo removed. Boluarte becomes president
07/19/2021Castillo declared president
11/17/2020Sagasti named president
11/15/2020Merino resigns
11/10/2020Merino elected president
11/09/2020Vizcarra ousted
01/26/2020New congress elected
09/30/2019Turmoil in government with competing presidents
03/21/2018Kuczynski resigns
12/21/2017Kucyznski avoids impeachment
05/10/2022Marcos elected president
12/14/2023Tusk becomes prime minister
11/27/2023Morawiecki becomes prime minister
10/15/2023Opposition wins election
07/13/2020Duda re-elected
03/21/2024Democratic Alliance forms government
11/07/2023Costa resigns
01/30/2022New government elected
11/05/2021New election called
01/26/2021Rebelo de Sousa re-elected
07/25/2019Rosselló resigns

Q
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/14/2018Coup attempt fails
06/05/2017Blockade of Qatar
07/08/1997Liberalization
06/27/19951995 coup
09/03/1971Independence

R
11/25/2021New government approved
10/05/2021Government falls
12/18/2020Ruling coalition forms government
12/06/2020Orban resigns after parliamentary election
02/05/2020Government falls
11/04/2019Orban voted prime minister
10/10/2019Government falls
06/21/2018Dragnea convicted of fraud
01/17/2018Dancila becomes prime minister
02/24/2022Russia invades Ukraine
07/02/2020Constitutional referendum approved
01/15/2020Government resigns
07/16/2018Russia-US summit
07/16/2018Russia-US summit
08/28/2019Agreement with Uganda

S
05/24/2021Fiame becomes prime minister in disputed ceremony
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
10/07/2023Hamas attacks Israel
04/07/2022Hadi transfers powers
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
10/09/2018Disappearance of journalist leads to international attention
11/04/2017Anti-corruption crackdown
03/24/2024Faye elected president
08/12/2022Sall coalition reelected
03/01/2019Sall re-elected
12/17/2023Government reelected
04/03/2022Vucic reelected
06/21/2020Ruling party gains in parliament
10/25/2020Opposition wins government
06/24/2023Bio reelected
03/07/2022Bio elected president
07/11/2020Ruling party re-elected
03/21/2020Matovič becomes prime minister
11/13/2022Pirc Musar elected president
04/24/2022Government ousted
03/13/2020Jansa leads new government
01/27/2020Snap elections called
01/27/2020Government falls
08/17/2018Marjan Sarec elected prime minister
05/01/2024Legislature elects Manele prime minister.
11/18/2024Opposition wins presidency
05/15/2022President elected
11/21/2017Bihi elected president of Somaliland
06/14/2024New government formed
05/13/2019ANC retains majority in parliament
04/10/2024Opposition wins legislature
03/09/2022Yoon Suk-yeal elected president
04/16/2020Moon wins re-election in a landslide
04/27/2018Panmunjon Declaration
06/27/2018Peace agreement signed
10/24/2023New government formed
01/07/2020Sanchez re-elected prime minister
04/28/2019Socialists win plurality
06/01/2018Socialists eject Rajoy and take control of government
07/20/2022Wickremesinghe named interim president
07/09/2022Rajapaksa resigns
05/12/2022Wickremesinghe appointed PM
05/09/2022Prime minister resigns
03/28/2022Government facing economic collapse
11/17/2019Gotabaya Rajapaksa elected president
12/16/2018Widkremesinghe returns to office
11/09/2018Parliament dissolved
10/26/2018Sirisena fires Prime Minister Rajapaska
01/02/2022Prime minister resigns
10/25/2021Military coup
07/07/2019Transitional government agreement
04/11/2019Military takes control
12/19/2018Anti-government protests begin
11/29/2019Bouterse sentenced
07/14/2015Bouterse reelected
10/17/2022Kristersson elected prime minister
09/14/2022Conservatives win government
05/15/2022Government to apply to NATO
07/07/2021Löfven reelected
06/28/2021Löfven resigns
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
12/08/2024Government falls
12/08/2024Government falls
10/07/2023Hamas attacks Israel
01/03/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian
12/18/2018US announces withdrawal of troops from Syria
09/04/2018Assault on Idlib
09/26/2016Government attempt to retake Aleppo.
09/09/2016Ceasefire
08/24/2016Turkish troops enter Syria.
08/23/2016Kurdish truce with Syria.
09/30/2015Russia enters war.
09/10/2014US bombing Islamic State in Syria
01/24/2014Geneva peace conference 2014
09/25/2013Islamic State increasing in Syria
08/20/2013Government accused of using chemical weapons
03/18/2011Beginning of unrest in Syria that leads to civil war
05/21/2008Negotiations with Israel about Golan Heights
05/29/2007Bashar al-Assad re-elected
10/28/2005Preliminary UN report on Syrian responsibility for murder of Lebanon’s Rafik Hariri
03/06/2005Syrian intelligence officers begin to leave Lebanon
06/09/2000Hafez al-Assad dies
11/12/1970Hafez al-Assad takes power

T
01/11/2020Tsai re-elected
10/12/2020Rahmon reelected
02/28/2020Afghan peace agreement
03/17/2021Magafuli dies
10/31/2020Magafuli re-elected
08/16/2024P. Shinawatra elected prime minister
06/05/2019Chan-Ocha elected prime minister
02/22/2020Gnassingbé re-elected
09/12/2019ʻAkilisi Pōhiva dies
06/04/1970Independence
08/11/2020Ruling party retains power
09/29/2021Saied names prime minister
08/24/2021Parliament suspended
07/25/2021Saied dismisses government
10/13/2019Saied elected president
07/25/2019Essebsi dies
10/07/2023Hamas attacks Israel
05/28/2023Erdogan reelected
10/09/2019Turkey invades Syria
06/24/2018Erdogan re-elected
03/15/2022Serdar Berdymukhamedov elected president
02/26/2024New prime minister

U
01/18/2021Museveni re-elected
08/28/2019Agreement with Rwanda
02/24/2022Russia invades Ukraine
03/04/2020Shmygal elected prime minister
08/29/2019Honcharuk elected prime minister
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
05/14/2022New president named
05/13/2022President dies
04/07/2022Hadi transfers power
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
07/04/2024Labour Party wins majority
01/18/2023Ruling party re-elected
10/24/2022Sunak chosen prime minister
10/20/2022Truss resigns
07/06/2022Johnson resigns
12/24/2020Agreement on UK exit from EU
01/29/2020EU approves Brexit
01/22/2020EU exit passes parliament
12/12/2019Conservatives gain majority
10/29/2019New election called
10/17/2019EU and UK agree on Brexit
05/25/2019May resigns
03/12/2018Skripal poisoning creates international crisis
02/15/2018Notpetya cyberattack
07/06/2026Gaza government dissolved
06/18/2026Memorandum of Understanding agreement
02/28/2026US and Israel attack Iran
02/24/2022Russia invades Ukraine
12/06/2021Nehemmer elected chancellor
02/13/2021Trump acquitted again
01/13/2021Trump is impeached again
01/06/2021Presidential certification disrupted by Trump supporters
11/07/2020Biden wins disputed election
05/31/2020Protests and rioting across US
02/28/2020Afghan peace agreement
02/05/2020Trump acquitted
01/16/2020Trump impeached
01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian
09/24/2019Impeachment inquiry instituted
12/21/2018Partial government shutdown
12/18/2018US announces withdrawal of troops from Syria
07/16/2018Russia-US summit
02/15/2018Notpetya cyberattack

V
11/04/2022Kalsaku elected prime minister
04/20/2020Loughman elected prime minister
07/28/2024Maduro reelected
11/21/2021Ruling party reelected
12/07/2020Ruling oalition wins legislature
01/05/2020Chaos in National Assembly election
08/18/2017Constitutional assembly assumes the powers of the legislature.
12/06/2015Opposition wins legislature
07/19/2024General Secretary dies
05/22/2024Tô Lâm elected president
02/01/2021Trong re-elected CP leader

W

Y
04/07/2022Hadi transfers powers
12/04/2017Saleh killed
07/17/2015Hadi government regains Aden
03/26/2015Saudi Arabia increases participation in war
02/06/2015Houthis take control
08/25/2014Houthi rebellion
02/10/2014Federal statehood
02/20/2012Hadi elected president
11/23/2011Saleh gives up power
06/04/2011Saleh leaves for medical treatment
01/24/2011Protests against government
11/05/2009Saudi Arabia joins fight
05/04/2009Separatist fighting
10/12/2000USS Cole attack
08/1993Civil war
05/22/1990North and South Yemen merge
06/17/1978Saleh elected president
11/30/1967South Yemen established
09/27/1962North Yemen established

Z
08/16/2021Hichilema wins presidency

SAUDI ARABIA

09/28/2026
Saudi Arabia restarts east-west oil pipeline damaged in 9/10 attack.
09/26/2026
Houthis continued to attack Riyadh and other cities.
09/25/2026
Military commanders of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey meet.
09/24/2026
Houthis launch large-scale attack on Jizan in southern Saudi Arabia.
09/24/2026
France will deploy troops and air defenses to protect oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
09/20/2026
Trump calls off attacks on Houthis by US forces after deciding to go ahead with it, despite request from Saudi Mohammed bin Salman.
09/20/2026
Houthis warn Turkïye and Pakistan that it will attack it they support Saudi Arabia.
09/20/2026
Iran government plane said to have landed in Qatar, possibly to discuss Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
09/19/2026
Trump cuts time at Camp David early and returns to the White House. Netanyahu cancels trips in the US and returns to Israel. US issues warnings to embassies in the region, though there are no specifics as to whether the trouble relates to Iran or to Saudi Arabia.
09/19/2026
Houthis attack sites in Riyadh and the Saudi Aramco company in the city of Yanbu.
09/19/2026
Turkey says it has prepared a peace proposal for Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. It also says it is prepared to help meet Saudi military needs against the Houthis.
09/18/2026
Saudi Arabia says it will not supply European refiners with crude oil this month due to the pipeline shutdown.
09/18/2026
Syria says it will not send troops to support Saudi Arabia.
09/18/2026
A Lebanese newspaper associated with Hezbollah reports that through Oman, Saudi Arabia has asked the Houthis for a ceasefire to discuss the Houthis humanitarian issues and reach a comprehensive agreement.
09/18/2026
Reports of Afghan government urging Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia so that Pakistan will be drawn into the war due to the Mecca defense agreement.
09/18/2026
Saudi Arabia said to be running out of missile interception systems and to have requested air defense support from France, the UK, Pakistan, and Egypt. The US has not offered any.
09/17/2026
Pakistan says that it has deployed some forces to Saudi Arabia.
09/15/2026
Iran officials reported to have flown to Saudi Arabia for discussions about the situation in Yemen.
09/15/2026
Israel providing intelligence support to the Saudis to combat the Houthis. The talks were mediated by the US military.
09/15/2026
Houthis claim they have shot down a Saudi F-15.
09/14/2026
Houthis launch large-scale missile and drone attack on King Khalid Air Base in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
09/13/2026
Oman postpones meeting of Gulf states at the request of others. Saudi Arabia proposed amendments to the Oman-Iran Strait of Hormuz agreement.
09/13/2026
Saudi jets strike Houthi positions near the Red Sea. There are about 300 strikes in total. There is intense fighting between Houthis and military units allied with the Saudi-supported Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in the area of the Strait.
09/13/2026
Houthis have also attacked cities in Saudi Arabia. The repeated attacks against Saudi energy, civil, and defense facilities, combined with the maritime blockage by Iran and its Yemeni partner the Houthis raise the question of whether the Mecca Defense Agreement will be invoked.
09/13/2026
Iraq re-opens crossings to Iran. Iraq also seizes the drone-launching platforms suspected of the attack on the Saudi pipeline.
09/12/2026
Iraq confirms that missiles that hit the Saudi pipeline on 9/11 came from Iraq. The government has fired a military commander and shut Iranian border crossings to launch an investigation. Though Iraq is under pressure to disarm Iran-backed militias before a Sept 30 deadline, Iran-backed Shia terror groups are refusing to comply.
09/12/2026
Bahrain says it will boycott any meeting where Iran is present, including the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting of 9/14. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman will be attending.
09/11/2026
Houthis capture Mayun Island and Perim Island, which afford key vantage points on shipping in the strait. They now can effectively control all shipping going through the Strait of Bab al-Mandab.
09/11/2026
US military reported to have met recently with military staff from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt to discuss the war in the Middle East.
09/11/2026
Saudis launch airstrikes on Mokha.
09/11/2026
Pakistan conveys Saudi Arabia message to Iran to deescalate.
09/11/2026
Houthis bomb east-west pipeline in Saudi Arabia, cutting off one of the few Saudi Arabia has to transport its oil.
09/09/2026
Houthis bombard Yemen port of Mokha in the southwest on the strait of Bab al-Mandab. In intensive fighting, Houthis gain control of the west coast of Yemen north of the strait. They also capture Zuqar Island.
09/08/2026
China said to have asked Iran to help restrain Houthi attacks following an appeal by Saudi Arabia.
09/08/2026
Houthis attack Saudi Aramco plant for the second time in two days.
09/08/2026
Houthis attack Khalid Air Base and Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabi with missiles and drones.
08/31/2026
The official name of the Alliance between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia will be "Mecca Defence Alliance," the secretariat will be established in Riyadh, and the First Secretary General will be from Pakistan. Pakistan has suggested that several Muslim countries are interested in the alliance.
08/23/2026
Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense countries (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey) said to invite Iran to join the group.
08/17/2026
Saudi Arabia and Sudan establish the Saudi-Sudanese Coordination Council, reinforcing the Saudi position that a unified and secure Sudan is important to Saudi National Security.
08/11/2026
Houthis strike cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing three. They say they hit a ship carrying Saudi armaments.
08/09/2026
Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco refinery and on Yemen Red Sea port city of Mokha that had been equipped by the government to handle shipping that avoided Houthi held port of Hodeida. Hamas has said handing over its heavy weapons was contingent on Israel ending "all forms of aggression" and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
08/07/2026
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye sign mutual defense agreement, the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.” An attack on any of the three will be considered an attack on all.
08/05/2026
Saudi Arabia attacks the Sana’a airport in Yemen.
07/30/2026
Saudi Arabia publishes plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in ‌the Red Sea region after attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis disrupted one of the world's busiest trade corridors. Some of the 43 countries that attended a meeting on the plan have approved it, but not the UAE and Oman at this time. Oman has acted as the primary broker between the Houthis and the international community and is attempting to negotiate a compromise mechanism for commercial transits through the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE has backed separatist factions in south Yemen and, in contrast to Saudi Arabia, advocates confronting rather than compromising with both Iran and the Houthis. UAE-backed factions challenged the authority of the Saudi-backed Yemen government in a series of major clashes in the oil-rich Hadramout region in 12/25.
07/29/2026
US and Saudi Arabia launch attacks against Iran-supported militants in Iraq. The Popular Mobilization Force denies that any of their forces launched the attacks.
07/28/2026
Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted drone attacks from Iran-supported militants in Iraq.
07/28/2026
Houthis launch drone attacks against Saudi oil fields.
07/25/2026
Houthis attack Saudi oil facilities in response to Saudi attacks on the Red Sea city of Hodeida.
07/23/2026
Trump says that the agreement with Saudi Arabia does not allow Saudi Arabia itself to enrich uranium and that it requires Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, which would mean it formally recognizes Israel. Saudi Arabia does not comment on Trump’s declaration. The Saudis have made clear that normalizing relations with Israel would first require the establishment of a clear path for Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood as being untenable for his country’s security.
07/22/2026
Trump approves an agreement with Saudi Arabia that will give it uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program. Israel and some US politicians criticize the agreement, saying that other regional countries, including Turkiye, might then pursue development of nuclear weapons.
07/20/2026
Houthis say they are imposing a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.
07/17/2026
Iran strikes desalinization plant in Kuwait, attacks a base in Bahrain with missiles that are intercepted, and hits a US military base in Saudi Arabia.
07/17/2026
Pakistan expresses concern about the attack on Saudi Arabia, fearing it could be drawn into the Middle East war. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a mutual defense agreement.
07/16/2026
Iran asks Yemen Houthis to prepare to close the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, which would further restrict shipping in the Middle East. While the Houthis have missiles and drones to attack ships, Iranian Revolutionary Guards leaders already in Yemen will decide when to try to close the Strait.
07/13/2026
Sana’a airport in Yemen is hit by Saudi missiles when an Iranian plane attempts to land there carrying a Houthi delegation from Iran. The official government closes all airports.
07/13/2026
Houthis attack Saudi Asha International Airport in response to attack on Sanaa, which they blame on Saudi Arabia, though Yemen's internationally recognized government claims responsibility.
07/06/2026
OPEC+ countries -- Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman – agree to boost production, a sign of return to normalcy in the Strait of Hormuz shipping.
06/20/2026
Foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye discuss regional security and stability.
05/26/2026
US begins escorting ships through the Strait (“Project Freedom”), but almost immediately pauses the operation, saying that negotiations are progressing. Later, it is revealed that Saudi Arabia was furious at the operation, about which it had not been consulted, and refused to allow US planes to use its airfields.
05/24/2026
Trump speaks to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, 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, establishing diplomatic relations with Israel among other actions. He said he hopes to speak with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu soon. He suggested that he wanted Iran to sign the Accords as well.
05/24/2026
Almost immediately, there is severe criticism of the reports of the agreement from Trump’s party as well as others. Netanyahu reiterates that Iran’s nuclear program must be entirely eliminated in every facet, an apparent disagreement with Trump’s announcement. Trump quickly begins to back off from the finality of the agreement and it seems possible it will collapse.
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.
04/28/2026
UAE withdraws from OPEC, which will free it from restrictions on oil production and also expand its LNG production. There are various interpretations here as to how it will affect OPEC. The Saudis have adopted a policy of containment of Iran, while the UAE is pursuing one of confrontation. The Saudis have come together with the Pakistanis, the Turks and the Egyptians in this new regional powers coalition (the “Islamic coalition”). The UAE is betting on the hard power of Israel on the US. The Israelis provided the UAE with the Iron Dome system and other anti-missile systems.
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.
04/11/2026
Pakistan announces that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will provide US$5 billion in financial assistance to support the country's foreign exchange reserves and enable it to repay $3.5 billion of debt to the United Arab Emirates by the end of April.
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
Iran strikes at Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.
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.
01/29/2026
Türkiye is an increasingly important factor in Middle East politics and working on a security agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on an “Islamic NATO” for the region. Iran threatens “hazardous consequences.”
01/22/2026
Board of Peace is launched by US President Trump. Its goals are not clear other than the reconstruction of Gaza. “Once this board is completely formed,” Trump said, “we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.” Members must fund the enterprise with $1 billion, though it is not clear when and how the money would be paid. Members include Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Turkiye, Israel. France and Germany have said they would join. The Executive Board includes Marco Rubio (US Secretary of State), Steve Witkoff (Special Envoy), Jared Kushner, Sir Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, Ajay Banga, and Robert Gabriel. Senior advisors include Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum, with Nickolay Mladenov as High Representative for Gaza.
01/08/2026
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen said the STC leader Aidarous ‌al-Zubaidi had fled to the UAE via Somaliland after skipping the talks in Riyadh, accusing the UAE of smuggling him out of the country. The group in Riyadh scoffs at this announcement.
01/02/2026
UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) announces a constitution for an independent nation and demands other factions in the war-torn country agree to it. It also suggests an independence referendum for the proposed state of South Arabia within two years. It is not clear whether this is practicable.
12/30/2025
UAE pulls all its troops out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia demands it and hours after a Saudi airstrike on a Yemen port said to hold UAE-linked weapons shipment.
09/18/2025
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign strategic mutual defense pact.
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.
11/09/2024
Saudi Arabia said to have abandoned its effort to create a defense treaty with the US. Instead it will seek a more modest military cooperation agreement. The situation is complicated by Netanyahu’s intransigeance against a two-state solution with Palestine and also a requirement that a treaty would require a two-thirds vote in the US Senate and that is unlikely unless Saudi Arabia agrees to recognize Israel.
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
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
Traditional government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, recapture oil-rich region recently conquered by the STC.
12/-0001
Iran strikes at Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE.

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