Economy and trade

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How are Iran-linked tankers still moving through Hormuz blockade?

At least 19 Iran-linked tankers have passed through the US blockade on the strait to exit the Gulf while at least 15 have entered, according to the cargo-tracking group Vortexa.

A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

A fuel truck CarbOil services an Easyjet aircraft at Milan's Malpensa Airport on April 13, 2026.

Eurozone's inflation jumps 2.6%, jet fuel shortages loom amid Iran war

Inflation has been soaring globally amid an energy supply crunch caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

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As US blockades Hormuz, China urges restraint, rejects call to ditch Iran oil

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Analysis

Ceasefire without relief: How Iranians are grappling with post-war repression

People gather under a large portrait of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during a memorial to mark the 40th day since his father, Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli joint strikes, on April 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iran war deepens Gaza crisis as prices soar, aid falters

Children and families gather to receive free meals shortly before Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan at a displacement camp in central Gaza City, on Feb. 27, 2026.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

The Evergreen leaves the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean after the signing of the settlement contract, Ismailia, Egypt, July 7, 2021.

Egyptian official says Suez Canal 'not for sale' amid fears of foreign investment

The chairman of Egypt's Suez Canal Authority has responded after a parliamentary session discussing a private fund linked to the waterway sparked widespread criticism.

Dignitaries pose together in a family photo at the start of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership.

Iraqi PM stresses need for regional reconciliation at summit in Jordan

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attended the second round of the Baghdad conference today in Jordan and expressed Iraq's willingness to push forward on regional cooperation and partnership.

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Netanyahu’s new government will set Israel back, tech leaders warn

Mass letters to Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu are warning that the legislation his coalition partners are currently advancing will harm Israel’s flourishing tech industry and beyond.

Israelis who were allowed to enter an arena after showing proof of being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus attend a "Green Pass" concert for vaccinated seniors, organized by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 24, 2021.

Israel uneasy with deal granting UAE control over pensions

Israeli experts warn against the deal, which will have Abu Dhabi government-backed ADQ Developmental Holding Company purchasing a 25% controlling part of Israel’s Phoenix insurance company.

Jordanian protesters wave national flags and shout slogans during an anti-austerity rally, in front of the Labor Union offices, Amman, Jordan, June 6, 2018.

Jordanian officer killed as protests over fuel prices spread

The killing of the officer comes after governmental measures failed to stop a strike staged by lorry and public transport drivers in different Jordanian regions following the protesters’ insistence on a reduction in fuel prices

A man walks past the World Bank building in Washington on April 21, 2022.

World Bank says debt increasing in Middle East countries

Egypt, Iran and Turkey’s debt rose significantly last year.

Two firms from the United Arab Emirates have signed a $6 billion deal with Sudan to construct a new port on the Red Sea coast.

UAE's Ports Group expands footprint in Sudan

The agreement allows the Abu Dhabi-based logistics giant to operate ports in Sudan and will contribute to the UAE’s growing influence on the African continent.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during a press conference with his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts, on the sidelines of meetings to announce they had reached an agreement on the sharing of Nile waters and Ethiopia's dam project, Khartoum, Sudan, March 6, 2015.

Egypt’s trade with Nile Basin countries jumps amid Ethiopia dam crisis

Cairo’s exports and imports with the region increased substantially in 2021, but they still represent a small portion of the total and growth remains uneven.

US President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with African Union President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi as French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen look on at the start of the G-20 Summit, Rome, Italy, Oct. 30, 2021.

Biden rebooting relations with Africa at summit, ahead of 2023 visit

Countries in the region have received little attention from US officials in the run-up to the meeting, as Washington neglected the continent and is lagging in its influence compared to Russia and China.

A nurse shows a vial of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus at a hospital at the start of a vaccination program, Tunis, Tunisia, March 13, 2021.

Drug shortage adds to Tunisia’s woes

In light of the successive crises facing Tunisians, pharmacies across the country are suffering drug shortages, which the authorities are unable to resolve.

US President Joe Biden (L) speaks with DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi at the start of the G20 Summit at the convention center "La Nuvola" in the EUR district of Rome on October 30, 2021. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Africa seeks GCC-like economic trust at US summit

Since the United States' last summit of its kind in 2014, US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa dropped from $69 billion to $44.81 billion in 2021.

By Salim A. Essaid

A picture shows a view of the SEAEAGLE, a vessel which reportedly left Ukraine with a cargo of wheat, anchored in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, on September 9, 2022. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE-Ukraine trade deal would shore up Middle East food security

The goal is to ultimately secure "all aspects of the international food production supply chain."