Trending Middle East

Iraq has set the date for national parliamentary elections this year. The US and Russia are meeting in Istanbul for embassy talks. The number of millionaires living in Dubai has doubled in the past decade, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing wealth hubs.   On this episode of Trending Middle East:   Iraq to hold parliamentary elections on November 11   US and Russian officials to meet for...

Iran says it is set to engage in indirect talks with the US over the possibility of a nuclear deal. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said new negotiations were under way that are intended to secure the release of more hostages from Gaza. The US military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels is likely to become more intense.   On today's episode of Trending M...

The global stock market rout deepened on Monday as it reacted to US President Donald Trump’s new blanket tariffs. France is “strongly opposed” to any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Iran-backed factions in Iraq could be ready to disarm ahead of potential nuclear talks between Iran and the US.   On this episode of Trending Middle East:   Middle East markets tumble after sharp fall in Asia a...

The US and the Middle East are bracing for another week of uncertainty after US President Donald Trump's new tariffs took effect.   Conflict in Sudan is threatening to move the civil war to Sudan’s previously unscathed north. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called Israel’s detention of two UK Members of Parliament “unacceptable”.   On today's episode of Trending Middle East:   Power cuts...

Hundreds of thousands of Gazans are seeking shelter after one of the biggest mass displacements of the war. Hungary is leaving the International Criminal Court. Gulf Co-operation Council countries were largely spared from US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday.   On today's episode of Trending Middle East:   Israel plans new corridor to break up southern Gaza   Hungary to with...

Israel is expanding its operations in Gaza. Iran has warned that any attack by the US or its allies could push Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons . The US is sending more forces to the Middle East.   On today's episode of Trending Middle East:   Israeli defence minister warns 'large areas' will be seized as Gaza offensive expands Iran talks nukes, but how close is it to building one? US to send seco...

Israel said it bombed the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump expects the first overseas trip of his second term in office to include visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. The US says Syria’s new government is a step in the right direction, but it might not be enough for sanctions to be lifted.   This episode features senior US correspondents Jihan Abdalla and Wil...

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of “firm retaliation” for any agression from the US. After performing Eid prayer on Monday, thousands of Egyptians gathered outside major mosques and worship places to protest against the US plan to displace Gazans. The Israeli military issued eviction orders covering most of Rafah. This episode features Aveen Karim, Assistant Foreign Editor.

Syria has formed a new government. The US has launched a new offensive on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but experts have told The National that it is not an effective strategy. And tensions have flared between Israel and Lebanon after Beirut was bombed at the weekend.     This episode features Nada Atallah, reporting from Damascus, and Mina Aldroubi, reporting from Abu Dhabi.

US strikes on Yemeni capital Sanaa have killed two people and injured two others. A tourist submarine has sunk off the coast of Egypt Red Sea city of Hurghada. A notorious Kurdish gangster has fled Turkey to avoid extradition on drug-trafficking charges he’s facing in Sweden.     This episode features The National's Mina Aldroubi and Tariq Taher.

Sudan 's armed forces have regained control of Khartoum International Airport from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Istanbul’s city council has appointed Nuri Aslan as the temporary replacement for Ekrem Imamoglu, after Mr Imamoglu was officially suspended from his duties following his arrest on corruption charges . The UAE secured a dramatic late win over North Korea at the World Cup qualif...

Witnesses have spoken to The National about what they saw after Monday’s attack on Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land . Iran ’s top military commander Esmail Qaani visited Iraq last week to help maintain the unofficial truce between militant groups and the US after the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli shelling in southern Syria has k...

Israel is upping pressure on Lebanon through violations of its ceasefire agreement. Iran says the nuclear deal in its original state can’t be revived. The UAE has pledged $64.5 million to a long-standing hospital in East Jerusalem.   This episode features Arab Affairs Editor Vanessa Ghanem and Assistant Foreign Editor Aveen Karim.

Israel has approved the establishment of an agency to enable the exit of Gazans who “voluntarily” want to leave the strip. Syria is cracking down on captagon smuggling. A Turkish court jailed the mayor of Istanbul pending trial as authorities arrested more than 300 protestors. This episode features Thomas Helm and Sinan Mahmoud.

Palestinians in Gaza have been warned not to move between the north and south of the strip. US President Donald Trump has warned that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels will be “completely annihilated”. Germany has reopened its embassy to Syria, 13 years after closing its doors. This episode features Nagham Mohanna and Jamie Prentis.

Hamas says it’s not giving up on negotiations, following renewed Israeli air strikes on Gaza. The UAE is a crucial partner in securing peace in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said during a visit by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser. King Abdullah II of Jordan urges Europe to push for peace in the region during his visit to Paris. This epi...

UN officials have called for a ceasefire in Gaza to be reinstated after Israel launched new air strikes on the enclave, killing more than 400 people.   A group of lawyers and legal organisations, meanwhile, have formed a global coalition to pursue Israeli soldiers in courts. And at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, an Iranian adviser said Tehran cannot be sidelined in the quest for stability and...

Syrian troops have been deployed at Lebanese border areas after clashes between Hayat Tahrir Al Sham and fighters aligned with Hezbollah. Officials gathered at a donor conference in Brussels on Monday to address reconstruction efforts and the challenges of helping Syria restore basic services, education and jobs. More than 5,800 tonnes of aid from the UAE is heading to Gaza after arriving by ship...

Iran warns of a decisive response to any attacks after threats made by US President Donald Trump, in the aftermath of military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed a negotiating team to prepare for the continuation of Gaza ceasefire talks. The Palestinian-Israeli documentary No Other Land has secured a Dubai-based distributor after its histor...

Iran meets its allies Russia and China in Beijing on Friday for nuclear talks. Syria's interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa has signed a new constitutional declaration outlining plans for transitional government and justice in the country. A UN inquiry has determined that Israeli attacks on Gaza fertility centres are genocidal. This episode features Khaled Yacoub Oweis.

Renewed tension over Tehran’s nuclear programme has raised fears that Israel may strike Iranian atomic facilities this year. Israel and Lebanon have agreed to hold negotiations to settle border disputes and release more Lebanese detainees. Hamas has said it is waiting for next steps from talks in Doha for implementing the second phase of a ceasefire with Israel.   This episode features Bob Tollast...

Ukrainian and US officials are holding three days of discussions in Jeddah in an effort to end the war with Russia. A deal signed by Syria’s interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has been welcomed by Arab countries. Negotiations over a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas have resumed in Doha. This episode features Taylor Heyman, Assistant Foreign Editor and Jerusalem Co...

Delayed talks for the second phase of the Israel-Gaza ceasefire remain in flux. Ten thousand members of the Alawite community have crossed into Lebanon over the past five days to escape the sectarian violence in Syria. Iran is sending mixed signals about the possibility of renegotiating a nuclear deal. This episode features Sara Ruthven, Deputy Washington Bureau Chief.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in a wave of clashes between security forces and groups linked to former President Bashar Al Assad. The US has refused to renew a 120-day sanctions waiver for Iraq’s energy imports from Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia today.     This episode features Mina Aldroubi and Nada Maucourant Atallah.

The National has learnt US officials held several rounds of direct talks with Hamas leaders in Qatar in January. The UK government has lifted dozens of sanctions on Syria. The EU's 27 leaders met in Brussels on Thursday for emergency talks on boosting defence spending.   This episode features Hamza Hendawi and Sunniva Rose.