Middle East

Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Says Annual Profits Down 12pct
Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Says Annual Profits Down 12pct

Saudi Aramco on Tuesday reported a 12.1 percent decline in net income in 2025 as higher supply, U.S. tariffs, and other economic headwinds weighed on revenues. The Middle East war could be disastrous for oil markets, and it is vital to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, Saudi Aramco's CEO and president Amin H. Nasser said on ...

U.S. Moves Missile Defense Components From South Korea to Middle East Amid Escalating Iran War
U.S. Moves Missile Defense Components From South Korea to Middle East Amid Escalating Iran War

The United States has begun transferring components of its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system from military bases in South Korea to the Middle East, according to a report published Tuesday by The Washington Post, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the operation. The move comes as Washington seeks to ...

Iran Says Missile Attacks to Continue, U.S. Talks 'Not on Agenda'
Iran Says Missile Attacks to Continue, U.S. Talks 'Not on Agenda'

Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday that talks with the United States were not on the agenda as their war entered its 11th day. "I don't think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore," Abbas Araghchi told PBS News, saying Tehran had a "very bitter experience" during previous negotiations with the U.S. On February 28, the U.S. ...

Iraq PM Tells U.S. Rubio Iraqi Airspace Must Not Be Used Against Neighbors
Iraq PM Tells U.S. Rubio Iraqi Airspace Must Not Be Used Against Neighbors

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday that Iraq should not be used as a launchpad for attacks in the Middle East war. Iraq neighbors Iran, against which the United States and Israel launched massive strikes on February 28, as well as the Gulf, which the Islamic republic has hit with missile ...

Ankara Says Patriot Defenses Being Deployed in Central Turkey After Latest Iran Missile
Ankara Says Patriot Defenses Being Deployed in Central Turkey After Latest Iran Missile

Turkey said Tuesday a Patriot missile defense system was being deployed in the country's center, a day after NATO intercepted a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace. "Necessary measures are being taken for the security of our borders and airspace, and consultations are being held with NATO and our allies. In addition to ...

Strike Blamed on U.S. Kills Four Iran-Backed Fighters in Iraq: Armed Group
Strike Blamed on U.S. Kills Four Iran-Backed Fighters in Iraq: Armed Group

Four fighters from the Tehran-backed Kataeb Imam Ali group were killed on Tuesday in air strikes blamed on the US in northern Iraq, the armed faction announced. The group said its fighters were killed in "American aggression" against their position in the Debs district of Kirkuk province. The bombing targeted a position that belongs to ...

One Week of Escalation between Israel and Hezbollah
One Week of Escalation between Israel and Hezbollah

On the morning of Monday March 2, Hezbollah opened fire against Israel, reigniting the Israel-Hezbollah front in support of Iran.  Israel Strikes Targets in Lebanon The Lebanese Health Ministry’s casualties toll for the week totaled at least 486 people killed and at least 1313 people injured since last Monday’s ...

War in the Middle East: Casualty Figures from Across the Region
War in the Middle East: Casualty Figures from Across the Region

Since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries across the Middle East. Due to reporting restrictions, AFP has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, ...

Syria Accuses Hezbollah of Firing Shells into its Territory
Syria Accuses Hezbollah of Firing Shells into its Territory

Syria said Iran-backed Hezbollah had fired artillery shells into its territory from Lebanon overnight, state media reported on Tuesday, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Shia movement. Syrian army officials said artillery shells fired from Lebanon landed near the town of Serghaya, west of Damascus, the state news agency ...

Iraq Welcomes the Appointment of Iran's New Supreme Leader
Iraq Welcomes the Appointment of Iran's New Supreme Leader

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani welcomed on Monday the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader after his predecessor and father was killed in US and Israeli strikes. "We express our confidence in the ability of the new leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran to manage this critical stage," ...

Hezbollah Says No Choice But 'Resistance', Self-Defense
Hezbollah Says No Choice But 'Resistance', Self-Defense

The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad vowed to continue fighting Israel "whatever the cost", on Monday, in remarks broadcast by Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV. Defending his party, and blasting the Lebanese government, Raad said the group's goal is to "to drive the enemy out of our occupied land... And quite plainly, we have no other ...