Yemen appeals for help for civilians as Houthis tighten the siege of Taiz, and other Mideast news

Yemeni officials have appealed for international support to protect civilians in Taiz as Iran-backed Houthi rebels tightened their siege of the city. Meanwhile, a police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade shot and killed a man who attacked him with a knife. Police labeled the incident as a “terrorist attack.”Separately, Iran's top diplomat said a meeting of high-level security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey was a step toward dialogue and peace, while stressing that regional security should be handled by the countries themselves rather than outside intervention. Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Read our full coverage here.Yemeni government officials urged the international community to help protect civilians and reopen roads into the besieged city of Taiz as Iran-backed Houthi rebels further tightened their encirclement of the city.Taiz province has emerged as a major battlefront in recent weeks, including the city of Taiz, which has taken in around half of Yemen’s displaced population, straining limited resources.Taiz Gov. Nabil Shamsan said residents had lost access to about 3 million liters (about 79...