This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up on Friday's top developments here:
- Houthi attack injures 11 civilians in Saudi: Riyadh-led coalition
Israel refuses to withdraw from more south Lebanon areas at talks: Source
Erdogan to visit Saudi Arabia Friday: Presidency
Pakistan, seven Muslim countries condemn Israeli violations in Gaza
Israeli committee approves settlement expansion plan near Jerusalem
Houthi attacks kill 10 in Yemen as rebels target oil-rich Marib
Published: Aug 8, 2026 | 00:08 GMT | by AFP
Houthi attacks on a strategic Yemeni province killed at least 10 people Friday, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich region.
A 2022 truce between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-supported Yemen government unravelled last month, and at least 58 government troops were killed in rebel missile attacks on Marib province on Thursday.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement that the country "today faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022".
Amid the showdown between the United States and Iran, he called on both sides to show "restraint" and to return to "good faith negotiations".
A Yemeni military source told AFP that the latest Houthi attacks in Marib killed eight members of government forces and wounded 12 others.
Friday's developments at a glance
Published: Aug 8, 2026 | 00:03 GMT | by AFP
Regional tensions remained high on Friday as Houthi rebels claimed attacks on Yemeni government forces in Marib, where at least two civilians were also killed and 14 injured. At least 58 government troops were reported killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end “pretty soon” and expressed hope that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, while oil prices extended gains amid renewed concerns over the key waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed regional security and efforts to ease tensions with Mauritania’s foreign minister. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, linked the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to what he described as threats against Iran.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received a renewed invitation to visit Riyadh after his earlier trip was cancelled following deadly US-Saudi strikes in Iraq. French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also discussed regional developments and bilateral cooperation.
Israeli forces were reported to have opened fire on water department workers repairing infrastructure in southern Lebanon, while Yemen’s Houthis claimed another attack on a government-held military camp in Marib.
For earlier developments, read our Aug 7 live blog here
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