Morning Briefing: Aug. 9, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including Yemen’s armed forces launching an operation against Houthi targets; a vessel struck by a projectile off Oman with its crew safe; and US CENTCOM chief’s visit to Israel for talks on Iran and Gaza.

TOP STORIES

• Yemen's armed forces launch operation against Houthis

Yemen's army announced that it launched a military operation against Houthi targets and military equipment.

Army spokesman Col. Majid al-Nuzaili said the operation was carried out in response to Houthi attacks on military camps in the provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut.

Nuzaili said the operation was carried out along contact lines on multiple fronts and axes.

• Vessel struck by projectile off Oman, crew safe: UK maritime agency

A vessel was struck by a projectile about 18 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman, causing a fire that was extinguished, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

UKMTO said it received a report of the incident from a verified source.

The agency said the strike caused a fire aboard the vessel, which was extinguished.

• US CENTCOM chief visits Israel for talks on Iran, Gaza: Israeli broadcaster

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Brad Cooper paid a visit to Israel, holding talks with senior military officials on developments related to Iran and the Gaza Strip before departing for the US, according to Israel's public broadcaster KAN.

KAN said Cooper met Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials.

Cooper arrived in Israel after meetings in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, amid efforts to ease tensions between the US and Iran, according to the broadcaster.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• FIFA said it would not support or tolerate any attempt to hold an election for president outside the organization's statutes, as divisions about Gianni Infantino's leadership deepen ahead of his bid for a fourth term.
• Four people were killed when a helicopter crashed in a forested area in Rio de Janeiro, authorities said.
• A loud explosion was heard in Saudi Arabia's Jubail region, while sources reported that gas facilities in Jubail Industrial City were targeted and a fire broke out at the site.
• Pakistan’s military said 29 militants were killed in security operations across the country in the last three days, while an army captain was killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Most parts of South Korea are facing an intense heat wave, with daytime temperatures forecast to reach as high as 37C (98.6F), said media reports, citing the state weather service.
• Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan a year ago is “visible and tangible,” calling the Aug. 8, 2025 agreement a historic turning point.
• Australia’s New South Wales government has confirmed two new cases of H5 avian influenza in native birds, bringing the state’s total to four, ABC News reported, citing a government statement.
• China has raised its emergency response for Typhoon Dolphin to Level III and upgraded its typhoon warning from yellow to orange as the storm approaches the eastern coast, state-run media reported.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has practically no undamaged thermal power plants left due to Russian strikes.
• More than 110,000 acres of land burned in wildfires across Greece’s Attica region from July 31 to Aug. 4 amid a heat wave, National Observatory of Athens figures showed Thursday.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) marked its 59th anniversary with calls for unity, resilience and closer cooperation as the region faces growing geopolitical, economic and climate challenges.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran's position toward the US remained unchanged despite recent diplomacy, defending the memorandum signed between the two countries and insisting Iran has made no concessions.
• Iran’s top security official said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US changes its hostile policies and meets a set of Iranian demands.
• Sudanese army forces and allied fighters repelled a major attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Bir Sleiba area of West Darfur, Darfur Gov. Minni Minnawi said.
• An unidentified drone exploded less than a mile from a major pipeline near the Romanian border, according to media reports.
• The US Army has removed Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza from command of V Corps, nearly two months before his scheduled departure, The Hill reported, citing US officials.
• Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has metastasized and is causing him significant pain, according to his son, Hunter, who discussed the former US president’s condition in an interview.
• More than 20,000 residents were ordered to evacuate communities near Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada, overnight as the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire destroyed homes and surged toward Summerland and Peachland.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is technically the same as Article 5 of the NATO Treaty concerning collective defense.
• Israeli occupiers attacked a mosque in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinians following the assault, according to Palestinian media.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Iran war pushes US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 43-year low

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has fallen to its lowest since 1983 after more than 110 million barrels were withdrawn since late March as part of an emergency response to global oil supply disruptions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

According to data compiled by Anadolu from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the SPR stood at around 304.8 million barrels in the week ending July 31.

Based on the EIA's weekly data series, which dates to August 1982, the reserve fell to its lowest since the week ending Feb. 25, 1983, when it stood at about 305.3 million barrels.

• Spot market natural gas prices for Friday, Aug. 7

The trade volume on Türkiye's spot natural gas market showed a decrease of 67.4% to around 1.5 million liras, Türkiye's Energy Exchange Istanbul (EXIST) data showed.

Total trade Thursday amounted to about 4.6 million liras.

On Friday's spot market, 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas cost 17,090 liras, while the cumulative natural gas trade volume amounted to around 88,000 cubic meters.