Iran-Israel conflict

MUSCAT, OMAN - JUNE 21: Oil tankers and cargo vessels remain anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos around Qaboos Port on June 21, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reopening is unclear amid continued fighting in Lebano

Oil falls more than 3% after Iran, US signal progress in talks

International benchmark Brent crude fell to $78.68 as of 7:06 a.m. EDT.

US President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 29, 2025.

Analysis

How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal

The latest ceasefire in Lebanon leaves Netanyahu squeezed between Washington and domestic pressure.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

Interview

Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says

French investors are reallocating capital toward strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and technology rather than pulling out of the region altogether.

Axel Baroux

France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Lebanese soldiers man a check point beside a Hezbollah flag at the entrance to Nabatieh on June 15, 2026.

Analysis

Fears in Lebanon that US-Iran deal boosts Hezbollah without restraining Israel

The deal that ended the war between the United States and Iran has left Hezbollah feeling empowered, which could mark a setback for the Lebanese government’s efforts to disarm the group and move forward with its talks with Israel.

Beatrice Farhat

By Beatrice Farhat

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Latest News

Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB

A picture taken on June 5, 2017, shows a man walking past the Qatar National Bank branch in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Get

Analysis

'He knew it was over': Inside Netanyahu’s response to Trump’s Iran deal as Israel recalibrates

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Oil falls below $80 as markets rally on Iran-US peace deal: What to know

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivers a speech during a meeting of Pope Leo XIV with authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut, on November 30, 2025. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images)

'Not your country': Joseph Aoun tells Iran to stay out of Lebanon's affairs

The Lebanese president called on Israel and Hezbollah to negotiate while the parliament speaker said he would endorse a ceasefire if Israel withdraws.

A portrait of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is visible in heavily damaged building in the border town of Ayta al-Chaab, southern Lebanon, Feb. 21, 2026.

Analysis

Why Israel sees Lebanon’s 'pilot zones' as path to containing Hezbollah

Israel views the proposed pilot security zones in southern Lebanon as a pragmatic way to gradually expand Lebanese state control, push Hezbollah away from the border and preserve a fragile ceasefire while the Trump administration pursues broader negotiations with Iran.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

How Iran war created unexpected economic beneficiaries

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is reshaping global energy and trade flows, creating opportunities for economies far beyond the Middle East.

Smoke rises from an area of Kuwait's international airport after a reported drone strike on April 1, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran strikes on Kuwait pose dilemma for US Navy’s blockade

By striking Kuwait's main airport, the IRGC has attempted to flip the escalation script after US aircraft fired Hellfire missiles to disable commercial oil tankers accused of trying to outrun the US Navy’s blockade.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A photo of Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, speaking at the high-level ministerial session of Baku Energy Week in the Azerbaijani capital.

Egypt, Turkey push energy ties in Azerbaijan talks amid Hormuz crisis

Egypt and Turkey are moving to deepen energy cooperation as Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts Gulf energy flows, increasing the significance of Eastern Mediterranean energy infrastructure.

Tankers are seen at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the Sharjah Emirate, along the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes on June 23, 2025.

UAE eyes first multifuel pipeline as Hormuz crisis drags on

State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is considering building a refined oil products pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

United Arab Emirates

People stand in front of the Arrow 3 shield system during an event of the German Air Force to declare the Initial Operating Capability for the Arrow Weapon System for Germany at the Annaburger Heide Air Base in Schoenewalde / Holzdorf, eastern Germany, on Dec. 3, 2025.

Record Israeli arms exports highlight global rush for air defense

Rocket and air defense systems sales accounted for 29% of Israel's defense exports in 2025.

An undated image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Roman Gofman

Meet Roman Gofman, outsider now leading Israel's Mossad

Roman Gofman’s rapid rise from Netanyahu aide to Mossad chief marks a break with tradition in Israel’s intelligence community, coming amid scrutiny over past security failures and internal opposition to his appointment.

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.

Trump says Hezbollah, Israel agree to stop fighting after call with Netanyahu

The US president announced the ceasefire after Iran's IRGC threatened a major attack on northern Israel and warned it could close the Bab al-Mandeb strait if Israel followed through on plans to strike Beirut.

The symbols of bitcoin and the stablecoin Tether (USDT) are displayed at a cryptocurrency store in Hong Kong on July 29, 2025.

Interview

Saudi Arabia eyes state-backed stablecoin amid digital finance push

Tokenization in Saudi Arabia has rapidly evolved from concept to early-stage execution since the early 2020s.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Jarjoua, southern Lebanon, on May 13, 2026.

Lebanon and Israel hold military talks at Pentagon despite Israeli offensive: What to know

A renewed Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon aims to extract concessions from Beirut in US-brokered diplomatic talks, but Lebanese military officials say there is no path forward until Israel halts its attacks and returns to the April ceasefire.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Container rates climb as logistic firms scale up Hormuz alternatives

The Drewry World Container Index measuring container shipping prices has soared by more than 40% since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war.

United Arab Emirates