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A Houthi missile that reached Israel at the weekend was not a hypersonic weapon, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, countering claims by Yemen's Iran-backed rebels.
The Houthis on Sunday claimed responsibility for a “hypersonic” ballistic missile attack on central Israel, praising it for causing “fear and panic” throughout the country. They called the missile Palestine 2.
“We've seen the Houthis employ cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, but we've not seen anything to this stage which we would term as a hypersonic missile,” Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder told reporters. “I believe, in this case, it was a ballistic missile.”
Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and on a complex trajectory, making them hard to intercept.
In June 2023, Iran announced it had developed its first domestically made hypersonic missile. On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis.
Israel's military made several attempts to intercept the missile, which appears to have broken up in the air. The military said it is reviewing what happened.
Sunday's attack marked the deepest a missile launched from Yemen has gone into Israel, about 2,000km away. In July, the Houthis sent an explosives-laden drone into Tel Aviv, killing a local man. The following day, Israel retaliated with a counterstrike on Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
The developments come as tension soars between Israel and the Houthis, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon. On Tuesday, nearly 3,000 people were injured and at least nine killed, including a child, when thousands of pagers simultaneously detonated across Lebanon.
The US denied any involvement in the attack that appeared to be aimed at Hezbollah members.
“I can tell you that the US was not involved in it,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that “we are gathering information on this incident”.
Maj Gen Ryder did not comment on the incident.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday spoke to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and urged him to pursue a diplomatic way of de-escalating tension with Hezbollah. Mr Gallant had suggested that military action might be the only way to ensure Israelis can return to northern Israel.
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The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
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Asia Cup Qualifier
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UAE v Hong Kong
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