Section

Middle East

Reporting and analysis from the Middle East

Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, photographed from the Space Shuttle.

Iran reports missile strikes on Qeshm as Qatar says mediation remains active

Iranian media reported projectiles hitting Qeshm Island, but damage and attribution were not officially confirmed. The reports came amid separate US strikes and renewed diplomatic efforts.

By Newsroom · 1 min read · 17h ago

USS Essex and USNS Wally Schirra transit the Strait of Hormuz in formation in September 2021.

Middle East

Tanker Damaged Near Hormuz as Iran’s Wider Mine Claims Remain Unverified

UK maritime authorities say a small craft attached explosives to an unnamed vessel near Oman; a separate Iranian account of three tanker fires has not been independently confirmed.

Newsroom · 8d ago · 3 min

Aerial view of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Middle East

Houthi Attacks Leave Most Riyadh Flights Cancelled as Saudi Airport Partly Reopens

Cirium data cited by Reuters show 86 per cent of scheduled Riyadh flights were cancelled between 8 and 25 October, even as domestic and selected international services resumed.

Newsroom · 11d ago · 3 min

A tent stands amid rubble at a damaged home in Gaza in a January 2025 file photograph.

Middle East

UN Inquiry Says Gaza Ceasefire Has Not Halted Alleged Genocidal Acts

A UN-mandated Commission of Inquiry says its findings point to continuing violations in Gaza and the West Bank; Israel rejects the report and disputes its conclusions.

Newsroom · 12d ago · 3 min

Israeli soldiers block a street in Hebron in a 2018 file photograph

Middle East

Hebron Closures Displace Palestinian Families After Attack That Killed Two Israeli Soldiers

Israeli forces imposed sweeping movement restrictions after Friday’s attack; the UN raised alarm over the impact on civilians.

Newsroom · 14d ago · 2 min

Palestinian and Israeli olive harvesters working together in Qafin in the northern West Bank in 2008

Middle East

Israeli Forces Detain and Release US Congressional Candidate at West Bank Olive Harvest

Brad Lander was held for several hours while accompanying Palestinian farmers; dozens of other volunteers remained in custody, the Associated Press reported.

Newsroom · 16d ago · 2 min

Interior concourse at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam

Middle East

Saudi Arabia Says Dammam Airport Attack Killed Two and Injured Eight

Saudi authorities said a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident were killed at King Fahd International Airport; responsibility for the attack has not been established.

Newsroom · 16d ago · 2 min

US Navy replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman transiting the Strait of Hormuz in December 2020

Middle East

Iran Says Seven Tankers Were Damaged in Strait of Hormuz; Claims Not Independently Verified

Iranian state television, citing the Revolutionary Guard navy, reported that seven vessels were damaged overnight; the latest incidents had not been independently confirmed.

Newsroom · 16d ago · 2 min

Official 2021 portrait of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

Middle East

Oman’s Sultan Begins UK Visit as Muscat’s Role in Strait of Hormuz Comes into Focus

Sultan Haitham’s visit brings Britain’s security partnership with Oman into view as the Gulf state tries to mediate between Washington and Tehran.

Newsroom · 18d ago · 1 min

RAF Typhoon fighter in flight during a previous NATO Baltic air-policing deployment

Middle East

UK to Fly RAF Typhoons on Defensive Missions over Saudi Arabia

The government says the jets will intercept aerial threats, not strike Houthi targets on the ground; refuelling support for Saudi operations is also being extended.

Newsroom · 18d ago · 1 min

Empty WFP sack in Gaza, photographed in October 2024

Middle East

Funding Shortfall Cuts WFP Food Assistance to 500,000 People in Gaza

The World Food Programme says it will support 1.1 million people in Gaza this month, down from 1.6 million, while halving food rations.

Newsroom · 18d ago · 1 min

Aramco’s core office area in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Middle East

Houthi Strike Damages Aramco Executive Offices in Dhahran

Regional officials say the top floors of an Aramco headquarters building were hit overnight, with no casualties reported.

Newsroom · 24d ago · 2 min

Middle East

Saudi Arabia Investigates Warning-System Silence After Deadly Riyadh Airport Attacks

Questions are mounting over the absence of public alerts before a series of attacks that struck Riyadh airport and killed civilians.

Newsroom · 25d ago · 2 min

Housing blocks in the occupied West Bank, used as contextual imagery for the East Jerusalem diplomatic dispute.

Middle East

Britain Renames East Jerusalem Consulate as UK Mission After Israel Closure Dispute

Britain says its diplomatic presence will continue at reduced scale after Israel ordered the closure of the long-standing consulate in East Jerusalem.

Newsroom · 30d ago · 2 min

Aerial view of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman

Middle East

Houthi Airport Claim Raises New Questions Over Saudi Airspace and Red Sea Shipping

Explosions were reported in Riyadh as Saudi authorities said they intercepted missiles, while Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility without providing evidence.

Newsroom · 30d ago · 2 min

Middle East

Israeli strike kills one in Gaza as projectile hits tanker in Strait of Hormuz

A strike on a civilian vehicle in central Gaza killed one and wounded at least 11, while UKMTO reported a separate tanker impact in Hormuz.

Newsroom · 34d ago · 1 min

U.S. Army soldier riding in a helicopter during training in northern Iraq

Middle East

US completes withdrawal from Iraq ending 12-year anti-Islamic State mission

The final U.S. troops have left Iraq under a deal with Baghdad, closing the military phase of Operation Inherent Resolve while leaving open questions about militia power and the future security relationship.

Newsroom · 36d ago · 3 min

United States military personnel and vehicles during a previous deployment in Iraq

Middle East

US completes troop withdrawal from Iraq, ending 12-year mission against Islamic State

Washington says its forces and equipment have made an orderly departure from Iraq, while Baghdad calls it a sovereignty milestone and Kurdish officials voice security concerns.

Newsroom · 38d ago · 4 min

Middle East

Iran says it has received a US response to its Hormuz proposal, but terms remain unknown

Tehran says Washington has replied through diplomatic channels to its proposed route towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but neither side has disclosed the contents.

Newsroom · 38d ago · 4 min

Aerial view of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates visible

Middle East

Iran offers six-day Hormuz reopening in return for sanctions relief and a wider ceasefire

Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days if Washington lifts oil sanctions, ends the war on all fronts and releases frozen assets.

Newsroom · 43d ago · 4 min

United Nations General Assembly hall in New York viewed from the delegates’ floor.

Middle East

Netanyahu heads to UN as protests and US political distance surround Israel

The Israeli prime minister’s short New York visit comes amid protests, criticism from US politicians and unresolved pressure over Gaza and West Bank policy.

Newsroom · 44d ago · 4 min

Historic desalination plant on the Red Sea in Eilat, Israel.

Middle East

Israel’s desalination crisis exposes Gaza’s environmental blowback

Five of Israel’s six main desalination plants were shut for days after an algae bloom that scientists linked to sewage from damaged Gaza treatment systems.

Newsroom · 44d ago · 4 min

Delegates seated in the United Nations General Assembly hall

Middle East

Middle East wars dominate UN week as Iran warns Washington against escalation

As regional leaders gather in New York, the UN's diplomatic calendar is being shaped by conflicts whose risks extend well beyond the Middle East.

Newsroom · 46d ago · 4 min