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United Arab Emirates

July 6, 2026

Abu Dhabi 9:43 pm

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Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 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 reo

Oil prices ease as OPEC+ increases production, Hormuz traffic rebounds

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.15% to $71.87 a barrel as of 8:07 a.m. EDT after dropping as low as $71.09 earlier in the session, its lowest level since before the US-Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28.

An aerial view shows port of the western Syrian port city of Latakia, on Dec. 18, 2024.

Analysis

Can a UAE-backed Syria-Iraq corridor become Gulf's next trade route?

On June 26, Emirati and Syrian officials discussed plans for a logistics corridor connecting Syrian ports to Gulf markets via Iraq.

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

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on Dec. 5, 2017.

Analysis

How Iran war shaped divergent paths to security among GCC states

The Iran war left the Gulf more fragmented than united, with competing security strategies replacing any prospect of a common regional defense.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Oil drilling near Dakhiliyah in the desert region of Hasakah, Syria, Jan. 25, 2026.

Syria launches gas project with Saudi firm in latest Gulf energy partnership

The project is the latest in a series of Gulf-backed investments aimed at rebuilding Syria's energy sector after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Latest News

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

Trump earns $810M from UAE-backed crypto firm: What to know

People walk past a cryptocurrency exchange office with a screen featuring US President Donald Trump holding cryptocurrency coins in Hong Kong on March 12, 2025.

United Arab Emirates

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

Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics

Defense Secretary nominee Mark Esper testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination in Washington, U.S. July 16, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott - RC14D3AE8B30

Trump’s defense pick calls for US-led pact to deter Iran

Army Secretary Mark Esper, auditioning for the Pentagon’s top job Tuesday, called on allies to join the United States in fighting Iranian malfeasance in the Gulf.

Chinese President Xi Jinping signs a book during the presence of the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 20, 2018. WAM/Handout via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FC6481370

China deepens ties with UAE with industrial investment

Deals worth billions of dollars between China and the United Arab Emirates reflect China's major status as a partner in the Middle East.

United Arab Emirates

Qatar, Jordan to appoint new ambassadors following diplomatic row

Jordan and Qatar are set to appoint their respective ambassadors to Amman and Doha after more than two years of diplomatic row.

REFILE - CORRECTING GRAMMAR A destroyed and burnt tank, that belongs to the eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar, is seen in Gharyan south of Tripoli Libya June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - RC1D103F7D50

Libya has outsized importance for Turkey's Mediterranean plans

Turkey's hostility to Libyan forces led by Khalifa Hifter is part of an ongoing strategic power struggle in the region.

United Arab Emirates

Gulf states divided in approach to Iran-US escalation

Not having faced a direct threat from Iran in the last few decades, the position of Oman, Kuwait and Qatar in the current tensions with Iran is that of peaceful negotations, rather than military intervention.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart of military hardware sales as he welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC14FF352EF0

Senate votes to constrain Trump on Gulf arms sales as Iran tensions heat up

A bipartisan group of senators rebuked President Donald Trump for his Iran emergency declaration hours after Tehran shot down a US drone over the Persian Gulf.

South Korean army Apache helicopters fly during a demonstration at a media event of 2018 Defense Expo Korea near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Pocheon, South Korea, September 11, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji - RC14D5CD39F0

Qatar, Bahrain duck congressional backlash against Gulf arms sales

As scrutiny grows over arms transfers to Washington’s Gulf allies, the Senate narrowly voted to allow weapons sales to Qatar and Bahrain.

Saudi soldiers stand in line at an airfield where Saudi military cargo planes land to deliver aid in Marib, Yemen January 26, 2018. Picture taken January 26, 2018. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser - RC1D0C8D9D00

Congress opens several new fronts in bid to block Gulf arms sales

The House joined Senate efforts to stop the Donald Trump administration from selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens to Chinese Communist Party Office of Foreign Affairs Director Yang Jiechi speak as the two countries hold a joint news conference after participating in a second diplomatic and security meeting at the U.S. Department of State, Washington, U.S., November 9, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC152C740580

US policy faces blind spots on China, Middle East

The effects of US trade policy toward China may strike a blow on global markets and possibly affect US national security.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Arab summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed - RC192C74A920

As Iran stirs worries, Sisi sets vision for Arab security

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offers a plan to achieve Arab security and counter threats to the Arab region, to avoid war with Iran.

Egypt's hand appears in play behind scenes in Sudan

The head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about Cairo’s role in Sudanese affairs.

A damaged Andrea Victory ship is seen off the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC1C22EB5DB0

Iran says Mossad ‘fabricating intelligence’ on oil tanker attacks

Iran’s foreign minister has condemned the UNSC meeting that will discuss UAE claims about oil tanker attacks.