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Trump returns amid Middle East alerts
The gist
Trump cut his Camp David weekend short and returned to the White House early.
It follows a State Department Middle East alert and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia.
How it unfolded
- Sep 18, 2026Women affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps marched beneath a banner depicting Trump in crosshairs during a state-organized military-style parade in Tehran.
- Sep 19, 2026A large plume of black smoke rose from the fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Houthis targeted Riyadh for the first time in renewed Yemen fighting.
- Sep 19, 2026After a widespread State Department alert for the Middle East, Trump was set to return early from Camp David, citing potential significant escalation due to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia; Iran's military was placed on its highest state of alert with scatter orders issued.