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Analysis

UAE-Iran trade relationship becomes key test of Trump’s wartime strategy

The Gulf state suspended trade with Iran after new attacks in August. Experts point to risks for both sides as the Trump administration seeks to squeeze Tehran economically.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

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.

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

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."

Latest News

Explainer

Iraq seeks special Hormuz access from Iran in scramble to keep oil flowing

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2026.

Oil nears $92 on UAE missile alert as Trump claims Iran talks stuck

Leon Neal/Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Explainer

What US sanctions on Syria remain as Shibani, Barrack hold talks?

RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

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

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE-Germany trade up more than 10% in 2021

Entities in the Emirates and Germany have signed several recent energy cooperation agreements.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Egypt raises bank rates again

The Central Bank cited rising inflation and price increases due to the war in Ukraine for the move.

Iraq food

Iraqi court annuls food security bill

There are rising concerns over food security in Iraq due to the war on Ukraine and the drought, but the agriculture and trade ministries say there is no need to be concerned over the country’s strategic food reserve stocks.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s middle class priced out of home ownership

Buying a home has become an elusive dream even for middle-class professionals in Turkey as the country’s economic woes erupt into a perfect storm over the housing market.

A social worker plays an educational game with a homeless child inside one of the mobile units run by the Egyptian authorities and used as part of the "Atfal bala ma'wa" (Children Without a Home) social program, Abbasia district, Cairo, Egypt, June 22, 2020.

Egyptian startups reimagine mental health services in Arab-speaking world

In an attempt to fill some of the most urgent gaps in mental health issues across the region, online platforms have developed tech-enabled alternatives to offer services that are safe, stigma-free and help raise awareness — although concerns about accessibility persist.

Gaming in Israel

Israel's gaming industry continues expansion

ADNOC headquarters (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) office complex (C).

Affiliate of Abu Dhabi oil company to list on stock exchange

Borouge is ADNOC’s joint venture with Austrian petrochemical firm Borealis AG.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 takes off.

Airport wars flare up in Turkey amid claims of Gulf acquisition

A row over the fate of Istanbul’s iconic Ataturk Airport has escalated in Turkey amid opposition claims that a plan to demolish the facility is designed to gratify Gulf investors interested in operating the city’s newer airport.

Obsolete Turkish lira banknotes.

Turkish lira continues to fall

Turkey is in the midst of an economic crisis marked by high inflation.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Russian tourists are seen swimming and snorkeling in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Sept. 29, 2021.

Egypt looks to Gulf to revive tourism sector affected by Russian-Ukrainian war

Egypt is seeking to increase Arab tourism from the Gulf at a time when this vital sector has struggled to overcome the recession it suffered with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images

Cuba seeks food security help from Iranian private sector

Iran and Cuba also pledged to boost trade during a summit in Tehran.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi presents his national statement.

Egypt invests more than $1 billion in green projects ahead of COP27

Egypt is expanding its implementation of green projects ahead of hosting the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference.