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February 17, 2026

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(L-R) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi hold a press conference after their meeting in Beijing on March 14, 2025.

Iran dispatches senior official to China amid talks push with US

Ahead of his trip to Beijing, Kazem Gharibabadi met with the Russian ambassador to Iran on Tuesday.

Advertisement boards on main road of the city Sheikh Zayed Road.

UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know

The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector.

United Arab Emirates

An undated image of Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East & Africa.

Interview

Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East

The Middle East's young population is increasingly adopting AI through mobile devices rather than data center-based solutions, Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East and Africa, told Al-Monitor.

Wassim Chourbaji

Wassim Chourbaji

Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa

Latest News

Interview

Youth, strong AI adoption make MENA leading region for smartphones: OPPO

Lay Ren

Lay Ren

Lay Ren

President of OPPO MENA

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Andrea Ghiselli

In Shanghai, reporting on China in the Middle East

Cheng Xin/Getty Images

China's oil imports highest since 2023 amid Iran crude spike: What to know

Data from analytics firm Kpler from April 11 showed that Iran’s exports were up 20% from February and at a five-month high.

GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

China courts Gulf, BRICS allies as trade war with US escalates

Since US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries on April 2, Beijing has stepped up engagement with Riyadh.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran oil exports to China soar in March to 1.9M bpd despite US sanctions

The United States and Iran will hold negotiations on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program on Saturday as Tehran hopes to achieve sanctions relief.

A mockup of Iran-made Mohajer-10 drone is on exhibition during a rally that marks the 46th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, on February 10, 2025. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

US sanctions UAE, China firms in crackdown on Iranian drone supplies

The Justice Department also announced criminal charges against two Iranian nationals and an Iranian company over their alleged roles in the drone-procurement network.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Chinese Ambassador to Damascus Shi Hongwei on Feb. 22, 2025.

Analysis

As China opens to Sharaa, Uyghurs and reconstruction shadow future ties with Syria

China’s approach to Syria will likely hinge on what the new government does about the Uyghurs in its ranks.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

China's President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Egypt, China ink $1.65B deal for steel factories in Suez: What we know

The deal was signed by Egypt’s General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Industrial Development Authority with Xin Feng Egypt Steel and its parent company, Xin Feng China as Cairo-Beijing ties grow closer.

The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Fortune is docked at the El Palito refinery after its arrival to Puerto Cabello in the northern state of Carabobo, Venezuela, on May 25, 2020.

US slaps sanctions on Iran's oil tankers, targets China 'teapot' refinery

Targets of the sanctions include a refinery allegedly purchasing Iranian oil from a vessel linked to Yemen's Houthi militant group.

In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FRG4s is being prepared to conduct further strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen at RAF Akrotiri on Feb. 3, 2024 in Akrotiri, Cyprus.

US strikes on Yemen's Houthis, China stimulus drive surge in oil prices

Brent crude was up 1.3% to $71.53 a barrel on Monday morning compared to close on Sunday.

A picture shows a military drone on display at an exhibition held by Yemen's Huthi group in the capital Sanaa on Nov. 19, 2024.

Houthis using Chinese-made hydrogen fuel cells to build stealthier drones: Report

A new report reveals that the Houthis are incorporating Chinese-made hydrogen fuel cells into their drones, potentially improving their range and reducing detection by air defenses.

TOPSHOT - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press, in front of the portrait of slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, after meeting with Syrian officials at the Iranian embassy in Damascus on October 5, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

As Iran set to receive Trump's letter, China to host talks on nuclear program

China will host a trilateral meeting with Russia and Iran in Beijing Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear program, amid renewed US efforts to renegotiate a new deal.

This handout photo, made available by the Iranian Army office on March 11, 2025, shows the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer Baotou during joint military drills between Iran, Russia and China in the Gulf of Oman.

Analysis

Iran flaunts joint Russia-China naval exercise as defiance of Trump, new order: What to know

Iran appears to be using the drills as a powerful signal that amid shifting dynamics under the new US administration, it will not be alone in defending its strategic interests.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics