Trending Middle East

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted and destroyed a drone launched towards Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Houthi attack on Yemen’s presidential palace in Aden rises to five, with 16 injured. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, declines to rule out using the “mother of all bombs” against Iran after the November...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, about 800,000 people in Yemen’s city of Taiz are largely cut off from food, fuel and medical supplies as fighting between the government troops and the Houthi rebels intensifies. As the Iran conflict drags on, the global diesel shortage is expected to continue well into 2027, the International Energy Agency has warned. In Lebanon, private suppliers now p...

Today on Trending Middle East, a building of Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco is attacked in Dharan, as the Houthi rebels in Yemen escalate their missile campaign against the kingdom. The Energy Ministry says the strike cause a fire but there were no casualties. Families of two Indian sailors who have been missing since a drone hit an oil tanker off Oman's coast tell The National they are "...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launch further attacks against Saudi Arabia as authorities extend the closure of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until October 17. The attacks have disrupted flights across the region, with Etihad Airways cancelling services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh until October 19. The UK imposes sanctions on two Iranian citizens ac...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, one person is killed and 11 injured in another attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport – a day after 13 were killed and more than 300 injured in a strike claimed by the Houthi rebels. The airport is to remain closed for another 24 hours as Saudi Arabia responds to further threats. US President Donald Trump announces an immediate ceasefire on...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen vows to “punish” the Houthi rebels after attacks on airports in the kingdom killed three people and injured 36. The UAE has condemned the strikes and emphasised its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Syria denies reports that Riyadh asked Damascus to send troops to support the kingdom against the Houthis. Meanwhile, Presi...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were disrupted this morning after the Houthis claimed a ballistic missile strike there. It comes after Saudi authorities confirmed that three people were killed in earlier attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran has lost control of the Strait of Hormuz, claim...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, the Houthis have claimed missile and drone attacks on airports and military sites in Saudi Arabia and Yemen this morning. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted ballistic missiles near Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, but authorities have not confirmed the claims about the airports. Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin S...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Yemeni government forces secure control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait and the strategic port city of Mokha as their offensive against the Houthis expands. The Saudi-led coalition is providing air support, while Yemeni forces have also begun what they call a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Jordan’s King A...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Yemen’s internationally recognised government announces the start of military operations to retake territory held by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as fighting intensifies around Taiz. Egypt says it remains committed to a diplomatic and political solution to its dispute with Ethiopia over its Nile dam, despite a new escalation in tensions between the cou...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the US is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs further military action against Iran. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are heading to the region, where two other US aircraft carriers are already deployed. The UAE Attorney General has ordered an investigation into the mid-flight al...

Today on Trending Middle East, Indian flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for helping avert a potential disaster during a security incident on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. In Iraq, the government has approved a controversial bill that could further establish the Popular Mobilisation Forces as a permanent national security institution. It comes as US forces formally have for...

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, the US is withdrawing its last troops from Iraq, officially ending its anti-ISIS mission, Operation Inherent Resolve, after 12 years. Baghdad now plans to shift towards bilateral security co-operation with Washington. The UAE strongly condemns the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque compound by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accompanied by h...

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, five people arrested on suspicion of a terrorism plot near the UK's Fairford airbase are released on bail, after experts find no traces of explosives. Authorities say the suspects remain under investigation, while Iran denies any involvement. Israel condemns the Netherlands' ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territo...

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...