Iraqi PM's landmark Syria visit, attack in Belgrade, and regional tremors

Iraqi PM al-Zaidi arrives in post-Assad Syria as an armed minor attacks the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.

Iraqi PM's landmark Syria visit, attack in Belgrade, and regional tremors — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Syria on October 28, 2026, leading a high-level delegation in the first such visit since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.[^1] Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the border is "completely" secure and highlighted a historic opportunity for economic cooperation.[^1] The visit signals a potential realignment of Iraqi-Syrian relations after years of Assad-era isolation. Separately, an unidentified armed minor attacked a guard outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, last night with knives and was killed.[^2] Serbia's interior minister Ivica Dačić stated that the police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack and raised the terror threat alert level to the highest.[^2] This follows a previous attack in June 2024, when a man shot at an officer with a crossbow near the same embassy.[^2] In Syria, security forces announced on Wednesday the killing of a French gunman during an exchange of fire in Idlib province in northwestern Syria.[^3] The incident underscores the continued presence of foreign fighters in the region. Meanwhile, a human rights report by the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) alleges that Alawite women in Syria face systematic rape, abduction, and forced marriage, with the new authorities complicit through the obstruction of investigations.[^4] A government inquiry in November 2025 dismissed most allegations, classifying 41 of 42 cases as non-criminal events.[^4] The report analyzes 64 anonymized cases and describes a targeted campaign of sexual violence against the religious minority.[^4] In Yemen, Houthi sources reported at least 14 killed and 15 wounded in Saudi airstrikes on Al-Hazm city in Al-Jawf province, targeting a market and a fuel station.[^5] Two missiles launched by the Houthis landed on the grounds of Aden International Airport.[^5] The attacks come amid reports that US President Donald Trump told Gulf states to prepare for a "short and powerful" confrontation with Iran.[^6] "At first I got horror reports," Trump said, "but he's in pretty good shape now."[^7] The Pentagon assess