Sergey Lavrov and Mohammad Javad Zarif have met to discuss the crisis in Syria, the need for diplomatic efforts and plans for another meeting of the Astana countries writes The Syria Times.

The Tunisian Council for International Relations (TCIR) and the Tunis-based Institute for Prospective and Advanced Strategic and Security Studies (IPASSS) offer new independent venues for wide-ranging discussions.

Using Yanbu, as well as air bases at Tabuk and Taif along the Red Sea, would give the American military more options along a crucial waterway that has come under increased attack from Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi militias.