GCC Relations

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok chairs an emergency cabinet session in the capital, Khartoum, on Oct. 18, 2021.

Interview

Ex-PM says Sudan risks partition amid US ceasefire push

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also called for the United States to impose sanctions that would carry “personal consequences” for the warring sides.

UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

MBS hosts Sheikh Mansour as Saudi-UAE ties thaw: What to know

The renewed outreach comes as Saudi Arabia faces mounting attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed

UAE’s Sheikh Mansour to visit Saudi Arabia amid strained ties

The two Gulf countries have been at odds over Yemen, where Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while the UAE has supported the separatist Southern Transitional Council.

The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel Manta Ursula is pictured moored in Muscat on July 25, 2026.

Cargo vessel attack in Hormuz kills 1 as world leaders gather at UN

India said 19 other Indian seafarers were rescued after the MV Cape Dao was hit by an unknown projectile.

Latest News

Iran threatens to expand war with new weapons if US attacks resume

Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Getty Images

UAE's Gargash expects 'prolonged' war, calls for Iran-Gulf security talks

Gargash

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia says attempted Mecca drone attack ‘red line’ as Houthis deny claim

People and pilgrims walk at the Grand Mosque Complex in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on Sept. 16, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia's balancing act with US, Iran, Houthis risks collapse

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities shout slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 10, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Houthi

Exclusive

Houthi top diplomat says no intention to shut down Red Sea shipping, group open to talks

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Acting Foreign Minister of the Houthi-led administration Abdulwahid Abu Ras said concerns over a potential closure of the Red Sea are being fueled by Saudi Arabia.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

US Republican Representative Wesley Hunt of Texas gestures after speaking during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024.

Meet Wesley Hunt, Trump's pick for ambassador to Saudi Arabia

The Texas Republican previously served for two years in the kingdom as a diplomatic liaison officer.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looks on upon his arrival during a welcome ceremony as part of his two-day official visit to France, at the Hotel des Invalides, Paris, France, Aug. 24, 2026.

Saudi Arabia’s MBS visits Egypt as Red Sea crisis with Houthis escalates

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Egypt at a time the kingdom faces repeated Houthi attacks, while the Iranian-backed rebels close in on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening maritime security.

Mecca

In first, Saudi Arabia activates Mecca warning system amid Houthi threat

Saudi Arabia activated emergency alerts in the holy city for the first time since Yemen's Houthi group intensified its drone and missile attacks on the kingdom.

A sailor from the navy of Yemen's Aden-based internationally recognized government stands at a machine-gun position aboard a vessel patrolling a shipping lane off Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Oil tops $109 after Houthi strikes, Saudi pipeline shutdown

The Houthi militia said on Monday that it fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh in Yemen.

Yemeni separatists

Analysis

What does Houthi advance mean for Yemen’s southern separatists?

The Southern Transitional Council remains somewhat active in southern Yemen after its territorial defeat by the Saudi-backed government, and the Houthis are not interested in fighting the group at present.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

UAE announces plans to invest $46B in Germany during MBZ visit

The UAE is Germany’s largest trading partner in the Gulf, with bilateral trade surpassing 13 billion euros ($15 billion) last year.

United Arab Emirates

Khaled ZIAD / AFP via Getty Images

73 wounded in Houthi strike on Saudi Arabia as Riyadh vows response: What to know

The World Health Organization said Monday that at least 728 people have been killed or wounded in Yemen since Aug. 24.

A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

Washington’s growing role in controlling the Latin American country's crude riches could help reshape an energy order centered on OPEC as the Hormuz crisis pressures Gulf exports.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Starlink expands Middle East footprint with UAE launch: What to know

Starlink’s Emirati debut expands the range of connectivity options available and is a significant step in the country’s efforts to bolster its digital infrastructure.

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

In this picture obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim on September 2, 2026 a destroyed vehicle is pictured at the site of an overnight strike in Kuhestak, Sirik County, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province on September 2, 2026. Iranian forces said on September 2 that they launched attacks on US military targets in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and other countries in the region, vowing "severe" consequences for renewed American attacks on the Islamic republic. (Photo by Masoud Moha

Iran vows continued military action amid renewed hostilities with US

Iran responded to US attacks with a wave of drone and missile strikes against countries across the region, raising fears of a return to war.

Abbas Araghchi and Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani

Qatar PM meets Pezeshkian, Rezaee as Doha seeks US-Iran mediation

Iran has recently signaled a desire to re-engage with the US but is hampered by internal divisions, said one expert.