Finally, someone is talking about the Iraqi shepherd who discovered a secret Israeli military site in Iraq’s desert and was hunted down and killed by Israeli forces, who sent a helicopter after him and opened fire until his vehicle burst into flames. nytimes.com/2026/05/17/world…

🇾🇪🇸🇦 The Houthis claim to have targeted Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, the kingdom’s largest, with a ballistic missile. NASA FIRMS data shows fire activity at the facility, while Saudi authorities reported this morning that the fire had been contained.

🇬🇧🇺🇸 Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows RAF Fairford in the UK empty of U.S. military aircraft, including B-1 strategic bombers, as of early October. The U.S. withdrew the bombers following an alleged plot to attack the base, which played a key role in Operation Epic Fury.

🇸🇦🇵🇰🇮🇷 A Saudi government-linked Boeing 737-8DP (HZ-102) has departed Karachi and is heading back to Riyadh. Saudi MoD Khalid bin Salman is likely on board. Notably, he did not fly directly to Tehran, instead traveling via Pakistan aboard a Pakistani Air Force aircraft.

🇱🇾🇪🇬 The Haftars are also moving to ease tensions with Egypt following the ratification of Libya’s maritime agreement with Turkey. Saddam Haftar, the de facto strongman of eastern Libya, visited Cairo yesterday in an unannounced trip. The visit reportedly had two main objectives: easing tensions with Egypt over the maritime deal and addressing the failure of negotiations held in Ankara between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and the Benghazi-based Libyan National Army leadership. Interestingly, Saddam flew to Dubai after concluding his Cairo visit. He traveled aboard a VIP Airbus A319neo ACJ registered as P4-KH519.

🇾🇪🇸🇦 Sentinel-2 satellite imagery captured yesterday shows a scorched area consistent with a possible impact crater on the runway at Aden Airport in southern Yemen, likely caused by last week’s Houthi missile attack on the airport.

🇪🇬🇸🇦 “Egypt’s Parliament voted by a two-thirds majority to authorize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia in defending its territory, sovereignty, and holy sites against external aggression.” — Official press release

🇪🇬🇸🇦 BREAKING: Egypt’s Parliament has approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s request for authorization to take defensive measures in support of Saudi Arabia, should the kingdom request assistance.

🇾🇪🇸🇦 In recent hours, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for: A ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Drone attacks on pumping stations along Saudi Arabia’s East–West crude oil pipeline, claiming accurate hits. Shooting down a Saudi Wing Loong II drone over Yemen’s Taiz governorate. Two ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi troops and weapons depots in Salah al-Din, Aden governorate, and al-Waht, Lahj governorate. The group claimed dozens were killed or wounded and military vehicles and weapons depots were destroyed or set ablaze, identifying Saudi officer Badr al-Harbi as overseeing the targeted sites.

🇹🇷🇸🇦🇮🇷 Yesterday, a Turkish Bombardier Challenger 605 business jet linked to Turkish intelligence flew from Ankara to Tehran, spending roughly 2 hrs on the ground. Later, a Saudi government-linked Alpha Star Airbus A319CJ arrived from Riyadh and stayed for about an hour before returning. A RSAF C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft had arrived earlier. These flights appear to have been preparations for today’s visits by Turkey’s spy chief and KSA’s defense minister.

🇶🇦🇮🇷 A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran today aboard a Qatar Amiri Flight Airbus A319-115CJ, tail number A7-MHH, likely as part of efforts to ease regional tensions.

🇱🇾🇺🇸 Libya’s eastern-based, Haftar-aligned government, led by Osama Hammad, condemned Trump’s comments about the country, calling him “a visitor to Epstein’s filthy island” in an official statement. It demanded a retraction and a formal apology to Libya and its people, insisting that the nation’s sovereignty and dignity were nonnegotiable. @US_SrAdvisorAF @USEmbassyLibya

Who’s next to send troops to KSA? Turkey and Egypt 🇹🇷🇪🇬 look set to join the list helping defend the kingdom, alongside Pakistan, the US, Greece, Italy, the UK, France and Ukraine. What exactly is the Saudi military doing if Riyadh keeps calling in everyone else to defend its skies?

🇵🇰🇸🇦 A Pakistan Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport flew from Karachi to the Royal Saudi Air Force’s King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran, where a Pakistani detachment of JF-17 fighters and SAMs are deployed.