The prevailing situation in Yemen and the ongoing war against Daesh (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) were the topics that dominated headlines in the region’s newspapers.

Qatar’s Al Sharq newspaper noted that the Yemeni crisis is at a very dangerous crossroads following the signing of an aviation agreement between Tehran and Al Houthis that allows airlines from Yemen and Iran to operate 14 flights a week between the two countries.

“This step was taken without the involvement of the legitimate Yemeni government, which further reaffirms the group’s [Al Houthis] occupation of Sana’a. It is uncertain what kind of authority was granted to Al Houthis that allows them to sign this deal, which provokes not only the people and legitimate Yemeni leadership but the entire Arabian Peninsula. The step also further aggravates the dispute between the faction and the people of Yemen, plunging the country into an even darker tunnel. Al Houthis must immediately abandon their dreams and ambitions to rule Yemen and seize power in the country through force, and instead resort to democracy and the ballot, respecting the will of the people.”

The UAE’s Al Bayan said that what is happening in Yemen is not any less dangerous than what is happening in neighbouring Arab countries as a result of the malicious goals of Al Houthis. “Action must be taken to halt Al Houthi expansion because they are no longer a threat only to Yemen, but also to the region and world, as their policies will lead to the outbreak of bloody wars. The insurgents, and those backing them locally and [from] abroad, do not want stability and have no desire to calm the situation following the international community’s failure to resolve the issue. Al Houthis have benefitted from events in Arab countries, using them to impose their control and will. They are now trying to divide Yemen. The dangerous, escalating situation in the country has also been exploited by Al Qaida, allowing the group to infiltrate new areas in Yemen following the collapse of the country’s central authority.

Commenting on the situation in Iraq, the pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi said that many observers view the battle of Iraqi forces against Daesh in Tikrit as a turning point in recovering 7,000 square kilometres of land controlled by the group. “The airstrikes carried out over the span of seven months by the international coalition, which is led by the US, have definitely weakened Daesh. However, real results can only be achieved through armed action on the ground, particularly through attacks by the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and the Shiite mobilisation forces. Undoubtedly, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle joining military efforts of the international coalition was also a qualitative and much-needed addition.”

Meanwhile, Daesh’s burning of 8,000 rare books and manuscripts was described as a massacre by Jordan’s Addustour newspaper. “The burning of the books is one of Daesh’s most barbaric crimes against knowledge and civilisation. Daesh is a suspicious organisation of unknown origins, and its objective is to tarnish the image of Islam through brutal crimes, selecting certain Islamic teachings and incomplete hadiths from Islamic scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah, to justify their barbaric acts. Moreover, is it not a paradox that Daesh is slaying Muslims and Christians in Syria and Iraq, while Israel is killing and bombing Muslims and Christians from Gaza to Akka in Palestine? Another paradox is that Daesh is destroying human civilisation, while Israel strives to destroy Al Aqsa mosque. Who can then truly doubt that Israel and Daesh are two sides of the same coin?”