— 🇸🇾 NEW: Explosions at an ammunition depot in al-Eiss, south of Aleppo, Syria.

Numerous secondary explosions occured following the initial explosion.

@Middle_East_Spectator

Taizz. Watch closely.

—❗️🇺🇸/🇸🇦/🇾🇪 BREAKING: President Trump has decided to cancel planned U.S. airstrikes against Yemen, according to the New York Times

Trump had briefly told the Pentagon to prepare a large strike package for dealing with the Houthis, after a personal appeal from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Most of the President’s inner circle opposed opening another front in the Middle East, citing energy insecurity and overextension. In the end, Trump decided against ordering the strikes just moments before they began.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇸🇦/🇾🇪 New York Times: ‘The strikes against the Houthis were close to beginning, with target lists approved and bombs being loaded onto U.S. warplanes when Trump pulled back.’

Admin note: Now we know why those security alerts were issued & why we saw B1-B Lancers taking off from RAF Fairford; they were headed for Yemen.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇸🇦/🇾🇪 NEW: Ansarallah have captured Jabal Rasin (Rasin Mountain), a strategic position just 15km west of Al-Turbah, a major town on the Taizz–Aden road

If Ansarallah forces push through to Al-Turbah, the last remaining road into Taizz will be cut off & the city will be officially encircled.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Iran’s air defenses have shot down another U.S. MQ-1C ‘Gray Eagle’ drone over the Strait of Hormuz

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇷/🇺🇸 NEW: Iran struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

@Middle_East_Spectator

NOTE: At the current rate, the U.S. is losing 4 to 5 drones a week to Iranian air defenses in the Strait of Hormuz.

Within 6 months, that would mean a complete expenditure of all remaining MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ stocks.

This is why the U.S. has decided to start using the MQ-1C, a version specifically developed for the Army, of which they have more in stock.

The MQ-1C has less engine power, significantly less range and payload capacity, and is more prone to being shot down, due to lower flight altitudes. It was meant as a ground-support drone, not a hunter-killer like the MQ-9.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇷🇺 NEW: The ‘United Russia’ party, chaired by Dmitry Medvedev, has won a record 355 seats in the State Duma elections, with about 58% of the vote (absolute majority)

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇷🇺 NEW: In a completely fair and totally not rigged election, Ramzan Kadyrov has won 99.85% of the votes in the Chechen Republic

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇱🇧 NEW: The IDF dismisses the event as a ‘false identification’

@Middle_East_Spectatot

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 BREAKING: Scott Bessent, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, says all Iranian airlines will be shut down ‘worldwide’ on Wednesday, September 23rd

It is unclear how the U.S. plans to enforce this measure, which is part of Operation Economic Outcast.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 WATCH: The IRGC has released footage of downing an American MQ-1C ‘Gray Eagle’ drone above the Strait of Hormuz today

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷/🇶🇦 NEW: More than 25 refueling aircraft are currently parked at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the most since February 2026, before the beginning of the Iran War

The aircraft are parked in dispersed patterns in order to be less vulnerable to Iranian missile strikes.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸 BREAKING: ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC have all collectively decided to suspend their pooled coverage of President Trump, including his UNGA address today

The move comes in response to Trump barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The three outlets have announced they intend to sue the President.

The White House Pool is a small group of five news outlets that usually follow the President wherever he goes and provides coverage of Presidential events for other news outlets throughout the world. It currently consists of CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC.

Later today at the UN General Assembly, CNN was scheduled to provide the official coverage—but the entire White House press pool is boycotting the event.

@Middle_East_Spectator

If you were able to make Fox News somehow sympathise with CNN, you’ve truly done something retarded.

—❗️🇸🇦/🇾🇪 Southern Taizz front, Yemen, latest map update:

Ansarallah (the Houthis) have managed to capture Jabal Rasin and Al-Damdam in the direction of Al-Turbah and the Taizz–Aden road.

Ansarallah have also captured Al-Aswad, Al-Aghbirah, Manan, Al-Dharifah, and Uqbah Al-Mansourah on the border between the Taizz–Lahij Governorates.

They have consolidated their hold over Al-Akkad (Bireen direction) and Al-Ajram (towards Safiya junction), squeezing towards the Taizz–Aden road on all sides from the west.

In my estimation (which is rather conservative) it will take a maximum of another 1-2 weeks before the last road into Taizz is cut off by Ansarallah, fully encircling the city.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇷/🇺🇸/🇮🇶 NEW: Iraq has caved to U.S. pressure and will ban Iranian airlines from landing or taking off in Iraq, starting tomorrow – AFP

@Middle_East_Spectator