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Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebels raise their rifles during a rally in support of the group and to protest Saudi Arabia's accusation that the Houthis targeted Islam's holiest site of Mecca, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia put new three-country mutual defense pact to test

By Jacob Wirtschafter - Special to The Washington Times

Commercial vessels anchored amid haze in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) **FILE**

An isolated, wounded Iran spreads the pain across a divided Middle East

By Jacob Wirtschafter - Special to The Washington Times

Displaced Yemenis from the West coast wait to receive medical care at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Saudi Arabia calls attempted attack on Mecca a ‘red line’ as Iran-backed Houthis deny they did it

By Abby Sewell, Suzan Fraser, Munir Ahmed and Cara Anna - Associated Press

Palestinian civil defense crews carry a body from the rubble of a collapsed building that housed displaced Palestinians and was heavily damaged during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Building collapse in Gaza kills at least 21 people, and other Mideast developments

Associated Press

A Muslim pilgrim prays in front of the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site in the holy city of Mecca during the annual hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslims begin the annual Hajj in sweltering heat against a backdrop of war concerns

By Baraa Anwer and Mariam Fam - Associated Press

A Muslim pilgrim prays in front of the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site in the holy city of Mecca during the annual hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslims begin the annual Hajj in sweltering heat against a backdrop of war concerns

By Baraa Anwer and Mariam Fam - Associated Press

School hallway with lockers and students. File photo credit: TiffanyBurke via Shutterstock.

Montgomery County’s only charter school vows to stay open after board votes to begin closure

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

In this Jan. 17, 2019 photo, Alfonso Benavente Gutierrez works on reading during a lesson at the B.E.A.R Reading Center in South Bend, Ind. A new state law calls for one reading specialist trained in dyslexia for each school corporation and charter school — according to the state department of education that includes all 289 corporations and over 90 charter schools. Those specialists will train teachers who have dyslexic students in their classrooms. (Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP)

Montgomery County might close its only charter school over special ed violations

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

Muslim pilgrims prepare to enter the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

No kids, excess heat and payment plans. What to know about Hajj 2025

By Riazat Butt - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they gather outside Nimrah Mosque to offer the noon prayers in Arafat, on the second day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

Saudi Arabia stops 269,678 Muslims without Hajj permits from entering Mecca

By Baraa Anwer - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims gather at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, June 15, 2024.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what is Eid al-Adha? Why are they significant for Muslims?

By Mariam Fam - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they arrive to cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Muslim pilgrims were wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage in the deadly summer heat on Tuesday with the third day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, and the farewell circling around Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Hundreds died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid intense heat, officials say

By Samy Magdy - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they arrive to cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Muslim pilgrims were wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage in the deadly summer heat on Tuesday with the third day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, and the farewell circling around Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Muslim pilgrims wrap up Hajj with final symbolic stoning of the devil and circling of Kaaba

By Samy Magdy - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 17, 2024. Muslim pilgrims used the early morning hours Monday to perform the second day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, as noontime summer heat caused heatstroke among thousands wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Muslim pilgrims resume symbolic stoning of the devil as they wrap up Hajj pilgrimage in deadly heat

By Samy Magdy - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims gather at the top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Masses of Muslims gathered at the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for worship and reflection on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj. It's often the most memorable event for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Muslim pilgrims meet at Mount Arafat for daylong worship as Hajj reaches its peak

By Samy Magdy - Associated Press

A general view of the Grand Mosque is seen from the Clock Tower during the Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Mecca is Islam's holiest city and a focal point for the faith's followers. But it's also a place where around 2 million people live, work, and do everyday activities like laundry, grocery shopping, homework, putting the trash out and paying the bills. Traffic, the population and prices balloon during the peak Ramadan and Hajj seasons. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

What is it like living in Mecca? For residents, Islam’s holiest sites are simply home

By Riazat Butt - Associated Press

Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on July 10, 2022. Police in Mecca say they have arrested a Saudi man who helped an Israeli-Jewish reporter sneak into the city, defying a rule that only Muslims can enter the area that is home to Islam's holiest site. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

Saudi police arrest man who helped Israeli sneak into Mecca

By Abdullah Al-Shihri and Aya Batrawy - Associated Press

In this photo taken with low shutter speed, Muslim pilgrims pray as others circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Muslim pilgrims are converging on Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca for the largest hajj since the coronavirus pandemic severely curtailed access to one of Islam's five pillars. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

A hajj closer to normal: 1 million Muslims begin pilgrimage

By Amr Nabil and Isabel Debre - Associated Press

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in the Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Saudi Arabia is expected to receive one million Muslims to attend Hajj pilgrimage, which will begin on July 7, after two years of limiting the numbers because coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Saudi Arabia expecting 1 million in largest hajj since virus

By Amr Nabil - Associated Press

A Saudi security officer watches as Muslim hajj pilgrims, wearing masks and keeping social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, circumambulate the Kaaba, a square stone structure in the Great Mosque, in Mecca Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Once drawing some 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe to the holy city of Mecca, the Islamic pilgrimage has been dramatically scaled back due to the virus. (Saudi Media Ministry via AP)

Saudis to limit hajj to 1 million pilgrims under age 65

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times