Gulf

Iran Seizes Two Foreign Tankers for Smuggling Diesel in the Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two foreign vessels carrying "smuggled" fuel in the Gulf, local media said on Tuesday. "The Revolutionary Guards seized two Tanzanian-flagged vessels carrying 1.5 million liters of smuggled diesel fuel," said Iranian news agency Fars. Iranian forces regularly target tankers they say ...

Yemen's Houthis Say US Strikes on Sanaa Kill at Least 12

Yemen's Houthis said early Monday that US air strikes on Sanaa killed at least 12 people and wounded 30, with a military spokesperson later claiming attacks on US aircraft carriers and Israel. The Houthi-run Saba news agency cited the ministry as saying the dead and injured had come from overnight strikes "by the American enemy" on a market and a ...

Qatar’s Chief Negotiator Says ‘Frustrated’ by Pace of Gaza Talks

Qatar's chief negotiator voiced frustration over talks for a truce in Gaza in an interview with AFP, a month after Israel resumed its strikes on the Palestinian territory and another round of negotiations ended without a deal. "We're definitely frustrated by the slowness, sometimes, of the process in the negotiation. This is an urgent matter. ...

HTS: From a Jihadist Group to a Military Power

Over the years, Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has built a substantial military arsenal and established a force that is both professional and cohesive – an accomplishment that posed a significant challenge when the group was formed in 2017, following the merger of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra) with five other jihadist ...

‘Haircut:’ The Sharp Edge of Financial Cuts

Just when we thought we’d seen it all in the Lebanese saga of economic collapse, the government rolled out a new episode—one so twisted it makes a Netflix series look like a documentary on quantum physics. A draft banking reform law, rushed through cabinet, casually proposes placing the burden of the collapse on depositors and local ...

Lebanon–Qatar–UAE: Time for Business and Strategic Handshakes

The visit, which began Tuesday in Doha, aims to solidify bilateral relations and formally acknowledge Qatar’s support during Lebanon’s recent presidential election. However, beyond symbolic gestures, high-level discussions will focus on economic recovery, energy cooperation, and Qatar’s potential role in stabilizing Lebanon’s ailing ...

Syria Leader in Qatar for First Time since Assad Fall

Syria's new president arrived in Qatar on Tuesday, state media said, for his first official visit to the Gulf state, a key backer of the new administration after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's ouster. The official Qatar News Agency reported Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Shareh on his arrival at ...

Yemen's Huthis say Seven Killed in US Strikes West of Sanaa

Yemen's Huthi rebels said on Monday the number of dead from US strikes carried out overnight Sunday, west of the capital Sanaa, had risen to seven dead with dozens wounded. The strikes targeting a factory in the in the al-Sawari industrial zone in the Bani Matar region led to "the martyrdom of seven citizens and the injury of 29 others, including ...

Yemen Houthis Say US Strikes on Hodeida Killed Eight

Yemen's Houthis said Wednesday the number of people killed in an air strike on Hodeida the day before that they blamed on the United States has risen to eight. "The death toll of the American aggression in Hodeida rose to eight martyrs and 16 wounded, with rubble removal operations ongoing," the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV ...

Judge Orders White House to Restore AP Access

A US federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore the Associated Press's access to President Donald Trump's official events, saying it had no right to bar media for their "viewpoints." AP journalists and photographers have been barred from the Oval Office and from traveling on Air Force One since mid-February ...

What Lies Behind Nawaf Salam's Visit to Saudi Arabia?

The lavish reception for Nawaf Salam during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia has raised many questions. This high-profile welcome, marked by exceptional hospitality, is more than a simple protocol gesture and reflects significant political stakes. To shed light on the real motives behind this meeting, This is Beirut spoke with political analyst ...

UK Imposes Travel Permit on Europeans from Wednesday

In a shake-up of long-standing travel rules, European nationals heading to the UK will from Wednesday need a mandatory entry permit, which the British government says will strengthen border security. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) can be bought online in the next few days for £10 (12 euros), but the price is rising swiftly from April ...