Iran-Israel

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

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

Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB

Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard, Qatar National Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, said that the Gulf countries will need to rebuild their logistics capabilities after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Veiled women in black Chadors wave Iran and Hezbollah flags during commemoration at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 22, 2026.

Gulf cautiously welcomes US-Iran deal as Hezbollah congratulates Tehran

Arab and regional countries welcomed the deal to end the war between Iran and the United States.

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty Images

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

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, fell around 3.15% to $79.99 as of 6:55 a.m. EDT on Monday.

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Analysis

Gulf aluminum pursues global deals as Hormuz crisis accelerates shift

Aluminum from Dubai sits in the BMW Landshut factory on Oct. 25, 2024 in Ergolding, Germany.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

US strikes on Indian-crewed tankers spark tensions with New Delhi

Punit PARANJPE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

'A complete disaster': Israel scrambles for clarity as Trump touts emerging Iran deal

US President Donald Trump talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, Jerusalem, Oct. 13, 2025.

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

Iran-US draft deal would release $24B in funds, ensure Lebanon ceasefire: Iranian media

TOPSHOT - People cross the street past a large billboard showing portraits of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) and slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in central Tehran on June 8, 2026. Iran said on June 8 that the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East war will have consequences for ongoing talks with the United States to reach peace in the region. "It is perfectly natural that the diplomatic process initiated to put an end to this imposed war would be affected,

A woman walks past a digital screen displaying news of US-Iran peace talks along a road in Islamabad on April 10, 2026.

In Islamabad, US set to face a more defiant Iran at negotiating table

Iran's widening ambitions after the war include a bid to exercise permanent control over the Strait of Hormuz.

TOPSHOT - Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted an area in Beirut on April 8, 2026. Israel launched a series of strikes on Beirut on April 8, the most violent attack on the Lebanese capital since the start of war. The strikes came as Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the Middle East war by attacking Israel on March 2, claimed it was close to a "historic victory". (Photo by Dylan COLLINS / AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

Ahead of Washington talks, Israel has little choice but to accept ceasefire in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had little choice but to agree to direct talks with Beirut as it became clear that Hezbollah is unlikely to be quickly disarmed.

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

Israeli military vehicles drive along a road in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border on April 8, 2026. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had carried out a surprise attack on April 8 targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images) /

US to host Lebanon-Israel talks next week in first such meeting

A senior Lebanese official told Al-Monitor that the Trump administration relayed to Beirut on Wednesday its support for Lebanon to handle its negotiations with Israel, separate from talks taking place with Iran this weekend in Pakistan.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks during a UN Security Council meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East on April 7, 2026, in New York City. A vote on a resolution in the Security Council introduced by Bahrain focusing on reopening the Strait of Hormuz failed after opposition from Russia and China. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Analysis

Sanctions relief, Pakistan role propel China backing of Iran-US ceasefire

The US–Iran truce boosts Pakistan — one of China’s closest partners — by elevating its role as a mediator and strengthening a regional balance that favors Beijing’s allies.

Joyce Karam

By Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll

This picture taken on April 9, 2026, shows the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Basta neighbourhood of Beirut the day before. Calls were mounting for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon rejects Iran negotiating on its behalf, PM says only Beirut handles talks

Israel launched its largest attack against Lebanon in the war, firing over 160 munitions across the country. At least 203 people were killed and 1,072 injured, while 33 remain missing, authorities said.

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Analysis

Ceasefire or strategic pause? How Iran is framing war narrative amid deep mistrust

Beneath the surface of official messaging, a more complex and uneasy reality is emerging — one defined by lingering mistrust, hard-line dissent and uncertainty over what comes next.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

An undated image of Shelly Kittleson.

Exclusive

'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release

Officials say Faiq Zaidan leveraged his influence with Iran-backed militias to help secure the US journalist’s release, underscoring his outsized power in Iraq’s fractured political landscape.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Iranian attacks continued in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait hours after a ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced.

picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

The truce could pave the way for lost oil and LNG supplies to flow back to global markets, but restoring Gulf energy production to normal levels could take months, if not longer.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

TOPSHOT - Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before US President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

Trump ceasefire leaves Netanyahu flustered as Iran gains politically

US President Trump’s decision on a ceasefire with the Tehran regime leaves Israel far away from its Iran war objectives.

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

A family sits against the backdrop of a dockyard in Khor Fakkan in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, off the coast of the Gulf of Oman, on Feb. 25, 2026.

Iran threatens energy shock, ups Gulf strikes ahead of Trump deadline: What to know

Majid Mousavi, head of the IRGC Aerospace Force, declared the start of a “new phase” of the war in response to US threats to target key Iranian civilian infrastructure.

A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026, west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran.

Israel, seeking wider war, hits Iranian railways, bridges as Trump deadline nears

Since the Trump administration announced its deadline, Israel has prepared for a potential US escalation, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure or ground operations.