(2020-02-27). Countries Take Harsh Steps as They Struggle to Contain Virus. truthdig.com Saudi Arabia cuts travel to Mecca, South Korea closes markets and other restrictions increase as concern borders on panic in some areas.
(2020-02-27). Turkey suspends registrations for Umrah pilgrimage. yenisafak.com Turkey has suspended new registrations for Umrah after Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended entry into the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.The announcement came on Thursday from the country's top religious body, Diyanet."There is no change in the return dates of our Umrah pilgrims in Saudi Arabia," it said in a statement.Saudi Arabia earlier on Thursday suspended Umrah entry to all countries, local media reported.Diyanet, however, said the Kingdom is yet to make a statement on confirmed cases in the country.Saudi Arabia hosts the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Madinah.Umrah, or the lesser pilgrimage, can be…
(2020-02-27). Houthis Release Video Showing US Destruction of Yemen's Air Defenses Before Saudi-led War Began. mintpressnews.com Houthi officials insist that the program reveals that the United States was intent on destroying Yemen's military capabilities well before 2015 and that it likely did so in preparation for the Saudi-led Coalition's brutal bombing campaign.
(2020-02-27). Thousands Of US Troops Return To Saudi Base After 17-Year Absence To "Deter Iran" iranian.com After a nearly 17 year absence, US troops have returned Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base. The last time the base, which lies about 60 miles outside of Riyadh, saw an American presence was in 2003, after which the troops moved to Qatar. The American troop surge into the gulf region to curtail Iran continues even as the world …
(2020-02-26). Saudi Arabia restricts pilgrimage to most sacred Muslim sites of Mecca & Medina over coronavirus. rt.com 
Saudi Arabia has imposed a temporary ban on religious pilgrimage, known as Umrah, to historic Islamic shrines in Mecca and Medina over the coronavirus outbreak that has recently spread to the Middle East. | The oil-rich kingdom announced on Wednesday that the restrictions were put in place to "provide the utmost protection" to those living in Saudi Arabia as well as pilgrims and tourists willing to visit the country. | In a
(2020-02-23). Regional Allies and Missiles Make Iran Invulnerable to US and Israeli Threats. iranian.com Many Iranians question the benefits of arming and financing Iran's many allies in the Middle East while Iran is suffering the harshest ever US "maximum pressure". Iran's allies are spread over Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Is Iranian support for these allies the main cause of the US's aggressive attitude towards the Iranian …