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
French FM visits Lebanon to send message of ‘great firmness’ to bickering politicians French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met with President Michel Aoun, who briefed him on the stalled efforts to form a government. Lebanon
Turkish Central Bank keeps interest rates high as inflation weighs on economy Cornered by rising inflation and a weakening currency, Turkey’s Central Bank kept its benchmark interest rate steady at 19% on May 6 as policymakers await positive signals. Turkey
Intel: Biden dispatches US senators to forge further ties with Sudan Two US senators met with Sudan’s interim leaders in Khartoum on Tuesday as the Biden administration seeks to forge lasting ties with the new government. Washington Pulse
Saudi Arabia buys into e-commerce A crown prince bent on modernization, young and tech-savvy consumers, and a global pandemic are transforming commerce in the desert kingdom. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
French FM says some Lebanese politicians banned from France over failure to form government Lebanon has been without a Cabinet since last year, and France does not want to provide the country much-needed aid until economic reforms are implemented. News Brief
Egypt seeks foothold in Libya’s reconstruction Egypt and Libya agreed to have Egyptian workers return to the Libyan labor market at a time when Cairo seeks to contribute to the reconstruction of war-torn Libya. Egypt
Egypt, Sudan seek greater cooperation in agriculture, food industries Egypt and Sudan agreed to establish an Egyptian-Sudanese joint stock company on agricultural and animal production and food industries, as they face a threat of shortage of Nile water amid the faltering negotiations on Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam. Egypt
Iraqi, Syrian oil ministers discuss gas imports The Iraqi and Syrian oil ministers talked about the possibility of transporting Egyptian gas to Iraq through Syria during a meeting in Baghdad. News Brief
As Iran looks to boost production, major political barriers remain Iran’s leaders have put a renewed focus on increasing domestic production, yet to achieve this goal there must be political stability and sincere efforts to push back on corruption. Iran
Egypt promotes economic ties with Sudan Egypt is increasingly seeking to support the Sudanese economy through infrastructure development and the implementation of many industrial and commercial projects. Egypt
Saudi Arabia bans Lebanese produce over drug smuggling concerns The Lebanese Foreign Ministry called on authorities to do more to stop smuggling in response. News Brief
Is opening of Jordanian-Syrian crossing politically motivated? Jordan reopened the Naseeb-Jaber crossing with Syria to restore trade movement, although some do not see any economic benefits for the Syrian government. Syria
