Gulf states approve joint military command after Houthi strikes

Saudi Arabia pressures Europe to designate Houthis as terrorists while rejecting a $51 billion demand from the group.

Gulf states approve joint military command after Houthi strikes — On November 9, the Saudi-led coalition attacked and destroyed three Houthi missile facilities.[^1] The next day, Gulf defense ministers approved the establishment of a joint forward military command in Kuwait.[^1] The rapid sequence suggests Riyadh is tightening its military posture against the Iran-aligned group. Saudi Arabia has also sent a firm message to Europe, urging the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization.[^2] Six European officials told Reuters that European countries fear such a designation would block the limited communication channels they maintain with the group.[^2] Meanwhile, Riyadh rejected a Houthi demand for $51 billion.[^1] The figure, disclosed without context in the atoms, is large enough to suggest it may have been a maximalist opening bid in backchannel talks. The rejection, combined with the military moves, indicates Saudi Arabia is prioritizing coercion over negotiation. In a separate development, Belgium's interior minister announced that the country's security services have found indications of Iranian involvement in the cyberattack on cooling systems in major Belgian supermarket chains.[^3] The Belgian foreign minister clarified that the existing evidence does not allow for an official determination of a responsible party.[^3] The internal Belgian disagreement mirrors a broader European dilemma: how to respond to suspected Iranian cyber operations without escalating into a full confrontation. One open question is whether the European Commission's decision to study a popular initiative—backed by 1.1 million verified signatures in 12 EU member states—calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel partnership agreement will further complicate Europe's Iran calculus.[^4] Infant dies of hypothermia in Gaza; winter arrives — Kinan Ahmad Rqiq, aged nine months, died of hypothermia inside a displacement tent in Khan Younis on Thursday. His father, Ahmad Rqiq, told reporters outside the hospital: "I am in shock. I found myself carrying my son wrapped in a shroud."[^1] The death comes as UNICEF spokesman James Elder warned in Geneva last Tuesday that "winter wil