Trending Middle East

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump expects American negotiators to hold further talks with Iran this week, with regional sources saying another round of indirect dialogue could take place as early as Monday. British police arrest five men near RAF Fairford after explosives are discovered, with a possible Iranian link among the lines of inquiry. Meanwhile, schools...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Iran hardens its position on the Strait of Hormuz, insisting Washington must meet its conditions before formal negotiations can resume. Diplomacy at the UN General Assembly has yet to produce a breakthrough, while about 80 countries have backed a call for the urgent reopening of the waterway. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey arrange an urgent meeting of...

Today on Trending Middle East, Iran has presented the US with a proposed road map to end the war. Sources told The National that it includes a region-wide ceasefire of up to 60 days, the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade of Iran. The US-backed Board of Peace has proposed a six-month, $2.45 billion plan to begin rebuilding Gaza and restoring basic services. The...

Today on Trending Middle East, both Iran and the US have confirmed they held talks through mediators during the UN General Assembly. This marks the first known negotiation between both sides since an interim agreement broke down in July. Also on the sidelines of the event, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara told The National he may run in a future election if he is needed, but that he was focused on...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, world leaders are arriving in New York for the UN General Assembly, with some of the planet's most pressing issues set to dominate discussions. G7 foreign ministers call on Iran to end its support for the Houthis, while Britain prepares to provide Saudi Arabia with defensive air-to-air refuelling amid Houthi attacks. Major US television networks suspend...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump will meet Gulf and other Arab officials in New York during UN General Assembly Week, with Iran, its proxies and the future of the US-Iran conflict expected to be key issues. Dr Anwar Gargash, adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, also calls for a “new mindset” in relations with Iran, saying diplomacy is the way forward. Egyptian...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, an Iranian delegation will be allowed to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been denied entry to the US. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to attend, while Mr Abbas will be allowed to address the gathering by video. The Houthi rebels have been communicating indirectly with US...

In this episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders in New York next week during the UN General Assembly to discuss a postwar strategy for Iran, Axios has reported. The UAE Central Bank has raised interest rates after the US Federal Reserve increased its rates by 25 basis points in response to geopolitical developments. The move is intended to help c...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Saudi Arabia has warned that the security of Makkah is a “red line” after the kingdom's air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of the holy city. The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation condemned the attack, saying it breached the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and threatened civilians. In Abu Dhabi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and Syrian President...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels intensifies, with strikes reported in the kingdom and Yemen. Saudi authorities on Tuesday morning issued shelter warnings across several cities, a day after 13 people were injured in Houthi attacks on civilian areas. The Houthis said Saudi warplanes carried out 54 strikes across Yemen. US President Dona...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, a meeting between Iran and Gulf states in Oman is postponed, after the sultanate said the appropriate conditions were not in place. Tehran and Muscat jointly agreed to reschedule the talks, which had been set to take place in Salalah. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels suffer heavy losses in clashes with government forces in Taiz, after making major gains...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the UAE announces plans to invest 40 billion euros in Germany across sectors including industry, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and energy. The announcement comes as President Sheikh Mohamed meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Israel says it has blown up Hezbollah tunnels under Ali Al Taher ridge, compl...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, President Sheikh Mohamed begins a state visit to Germany aimed at strengthening ties, with the two countries expected to sign agreements on artificial intelligence, energy and investment. Iran-backed Houthi militants seize the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha after days of fighting with pro-government forces, as the group also escalates attacks on Sau...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the tanker conflict around the Strait of Hormuz intensifies as the US and Iran trade attacks on oil vessels. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other ships, while also warning tanker crews in Bahrain and Kuwait to leave their vessels. US Central Command also said American forces destroyed five...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, attacks by Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia have wounded 73 civilians, including women and children. The Saudi Energy Ministry said several energy sites in the south were struck, causing injuries and fires, and temporarily halting some operations. Qatar says the Strait of Hormuz will remain vital to international trade despite efforts to develop alte...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Iran says it will establish a restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Oman prepare to announce a new international shipping corridor. Commercial shipping through the waterway has fallen to its lowest level since May after the latest US and Iranian strikes on tankers. Recent evidence details an alleged secret chemical weapons programme...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Israel is to release five civilians detained in occupied areas of southern Lebanon, as part of a renewed diplomatic push between the two countries. But it comes as the Israeli military abducts three other Lebanese. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has welcomed a move by the EU to join Washington's campaign to increase economic pressure on Iran. He cal...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Kuwait says its air defences are repelling what its military called a “heinous Iranian aggression”, involving hostile missile and drone attacks. It comes as Tehran escalates its attacks on other countries across the region. An investigation by The National has found that Israel’s army is gradually expanding its self-established security zone in southern...

Today on Trending Middle East, the US and Iran have traded another round of strikes, raising fears that a weeks-long lull in the war has come to an end. Several people were killed in US strikes on southern areas in Iran, while Jordan and Kuwait intercepted Iranian attacks early on Wednesday. In the Idlib province of Syria, five people were killed after munitions exploded while being unloaded at a...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump vows to retaliate after Iran launches missiles at American military bases in Jordan. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urges G20 finance ministers to join Washington’s campaign to cut off Iran’s financial lifelines. The EU backs the move, while the UAE has already severed trade and financial ties with Iran. In Iraq,...

Today on Trending Middle East, Jordan has intercepted eight Iranian missiles following a US strike on Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange marks the first direct fighting between the two countries in more than a month. In the occupied West Bank, residents told The National that a pattern of settler violence and land seizures point to a co-ordinated campaign. It comes as Israeli P...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been accused by a prominent ultraconservative figure of going soft over his support for negotiations with the US. The public rift highlights growing divisions in Iran over how to approach the next phase of the war. The US military says it has cleared sea mines laid by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz a...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman heads to Tehran to push for de-escalation between Iran and the US and renewed dialogue, with talks also focusing on restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to the situation before February 28. We also examine comments from the US ambassador to Lebanon that negotiations with Hezbollah are po...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Iran struggles with fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations as motorists rush to fill their tanks following new US sanctions. We also look at the dissolution of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces as its fighters are integrated into Syria’s state institutions. Meanwhile, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi is hopeful arrangements to resto...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the US has announced sweeping new sanctions against Iran, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects other countries to take similar action as Washington steps up its campaign to economically isolate Tehran. We also look at the US decision to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, clearing a major obstacle to Damascus's econ...