China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know China’s once significant oil imports from Iran have been impacted by the war in the region and increasing US sanctions. Iran
Explainer King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability With no end in sight to the war in Iran and an unchecked Israeli policy across the region, the kingdom is hedging against future uncertainty and a less predictable US policy. China
Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94 In a Truth Social post, the president threatened that any country that provides a financial lifeline to Iran will face "tremendous economic consequences." Iran
Jordan's King Abdullah heads to China in first visit since 2015: What to know Ahead of the visit, King Abdullah said that Jordan hopes to expand cooperation with China in green energy, tourism and aviation. Jordan
Analysis Jordan shores up US lifelines as Iran targets Amman’s reliance on Washington By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Putin, Raisi look to boost trade, regional cooperation in Moscow talks Ebrahim Raisi's trip to Moscow is unlikely to further elevate relations between the two countries. Russia
Crimean, Syrian ports sign cooperation agreements A Syrian government delegation visited the Russian-backed breakaway republic this week. News Brief
US sanctions Hezbollah's alleged financial facilitators in Lebanon The US Treasury Department designated Adel Diab, Ali Mohamad Daoun and Jihad Salem Alame as well as their travel company. Lebanon
US alleviates Lebanon's sanctions concerns over energy deal US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea provided a Treasury Department letter that addressed concerns over the energy plan's potential to violate sanctions on Syria. Lebanon
Lebanese minister seeks economic boost with Iraq visit George Boushekian visited Baghdad this week to seek cooperation with his Iraqi counterparts and facilitate business deals between Iraqi and Lebanese entities amid Lebanon's economic crisis. News Brief
Qatar International Islamic Bank retains A credit rating from Moody's The leading Islamic bank’s head said the rating reflects its ability to withstand the COVID-19 pandemic. News Brief
The Takeaway: Iraq takes first steps toward new government: What comes next Updates from our regional correspondents on Turkey, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Egypt; multimedia on Israel and Iran — all in about 1,000 words. Iraq
Israel pledges to keep US in loop on trade with China In the face of growing American concerns, Jerusalem has reportedly promised Washington it will keep it abreast of any major business deals with Beijing. Israel
As omicron spreads, Israelis turn against Bennett Many Israelis feel that the government and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett have lost control over battling the spread of the coronavirus omicron variant. Israel
Syria joins China’s Belt and Road Initiative The admission of Syria into the Chinese economic project is the latest sign of strengthening relations between Damascus and Beijing. News Brief
Economic meltdown revives forgotten occupations in Lebanon Occupations that disappeared over time, most notably that of cobbler and tailor, have been revived due to the decline in citizens’ purchasing power. Lebanon
Hamas plans to continue using cryptocurrencies for operations Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order to seize more than $800,000 on cryptocurrency on its way to Hamas, but a spokesperson for the movement said that the Israeli announcement was exaggerated. Palestine
