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United Arab Emirates

July 7, 2026

Abu Dhabi 6:44 am

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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

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walks with Saudi's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 28, 2018. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1F96F4FE60

America’s hawkish turn on Iran threatens Gulf alliance

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s new Iran policy announcement could have repercussions on US efforts to save the Gulf Cooperation Council.

An American made Patriot missile launcher of the Kuwait Air Force, used
to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, is deployed in an undated
file photograph. A U.S. Patriot missile battery may have engaged a
British Royal Air Force aircraft near

the Kuwaiti border on Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman said. REUTERS/Kuwait
Ministry of Defence - RP3DRINEPZAA

Congress nudges Trump toward Gulf missile defense

Congress is trying to revive US-led talks for a GCC-wide missile shield against Iran that have stalled amid tensions with Qatar.

Birds fly on a foggy day near the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, Jerusalem, January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC1FAC4E2C00

Will Israel accept UAE donations to East Jerusalem?

Former Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan appears to have caught Israel by surprise with an announcement of a $70 million donation from the UAE for the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

United Arab Emirates

Russia rotates its Mideast diplomats

Key players involved in the Russian Foreign Ministry's Middle East policy are changing positions, and there will be a new ambassador to Syria; will this also involve policy change?

United Arab Emirates

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in New York, U.S., September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1EC612CAF0

Qatar hires Trump-linked lobbyist ahead of emir’s visit

Doha is turning to well-connected Republican operatives amid an intra-Gulf spat.

Jordan, Turkey mending fences over trade agreement dispute

During a time of shifting alliances, Ankara views Jordan as an important potential ally — which no doubt has been a factor in Turkey's decision to renegotiate a free trade pact that Amman says favors Turkey.

FILE PHOTO: A combination photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 8, 2018, and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., February 13, 2018 respectively. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (L) Aaron P. Bernstein (R) - RC1850892B00

Pompeo pick pleases Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates officials see a shift at the US State Department in their favor, but are unlikely to see all their hopes realized under Mike Pompeo.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 13: Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill February 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. The intelligence chiefs were called to testify to the committee about 'world wide threats.' (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

State Department shake-up leaves Qatar hanging

President Trump’s ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson knocks out a leading champion for resolving the monthslong Qatar crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, speaks during a meeting of the Federal National Council in Abu Dhabi, January 22, 2013. REUTERS/Ben Job (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Tags: POLITICS) - GM1E91M1H1I01

Turkish-Arab ties marked by fear and loathing

A senior Turkish diplomat says Ankara misread the Middle East and ended up relying on Iran and its backer Russia, the two countries that Arab regimes fear the most.

United Arab Emirates

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Special counsel Robert Mueller (C) leaves after a closed meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee June 21, 2017 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. The committee meets with Mueller to discuss the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The dealmaker: Mueller witness helped broker $4.2 billion Iraq-Russia arms deal

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s latest interest, Lebanese-American businessman George Nader, has a long history of mysterious dealings in the Middle East despite a low profile in Washington.

United Arab Emirates

Smoke rises after an airstrike on the military site in Sanaa, Yemen January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RC142F21CA80

US still pouring weapons into Yemen war

The United States sold Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates more than $650 million in weapons last year for their war against the Houthis, according to a new report.

Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah security chief, gestures in his office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates October 18, 2016. Picture taken October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer - S1AEUJEJBIAA

Dahlan encouraged to form Palestinian party outside Fatah

Despite his reluctance, dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan is getting support from other countries to challenge Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.