Major Gulf fighting resumes as US and Saudi strike Iran’s allies in Iraq

July 29, 2026 9:21 PM

Major Gulf fighting resumes as US and Saudi strike Iran’s allies in Iraq

The United States and Saudi Arabia jointly struck Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, the first U.S. airstrikes in the Middle East since President Donald Trump suspended the U.S. bombing campaign against Iran last week. Iran, for its part, rejected an Omani proposal to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz and said it had fired on ships in the strait and at U.S. bases in Jordan. The renewed combat and diplomatic setbacks pushed oil prices up for the first time since last week, signall...

US, Saudis attack Iran-backed groups in Iraq, threatening to intensify conflict

July 29, 2026 12:42 PM

US, Saudis attack Iran-backed groups in Iraq, threatening to intensify conflict

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, saying they were responsible for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, prompting Iran to warn that blaming it for such attacks was a "major miscalculation". The strikes on targets inside Iraq come as Oman proposed a new regional deal aimed at resolving the conflict over the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war. The U.S. and Saud...

Trump says he won’t proceed with nuclear deal unless Saudis join Abraham Accords

July 25, 2026 10:49 AM

Trump says he won’t proceed with nuclear deal unless Saudis join Abraham Accords

President Donald Trump on Friday said he would not go forward with a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia unless the Saudis agreed to a normalization in relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. The U.S. Department of Energy said on Wednesday that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman had signed an agreement on developing the first commercial nuclear reactors in oil-rich Saudi Arabia and that it would next go to Congress for review. Trump ha...

Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia, breaking years of calm

July 14, 2026 9:10 AM

Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia, breaking years of calm

 Yemen's Houthi movement fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, breaking a four-year truce in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group. Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles "launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the southern region," the spokesperson for a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on X. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said they had targeted the internationa...

International Day of Yoga draws strong participation across Saudi Arabia

June 21, 2026 12:22 PM

International Day of Yoga draws strong participation across Saudi Arabia

More than 500 participants gathered in Riyadh on Saturday to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, highlighting the growing popularity of Yoga in Saudi Arabia and its role in promoting health and well-being. The event, organised by the Embassy of India in Riyadh in collaboration with the Saudi Yoga Committee and local partners, was held at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex. Diplomats, yoga practitioners and members of the local community took part in the programme. The United Nation...

OPEC+ agrees third oil output quota hike since Hormuz closure

May 4, 2026 10:33 AM

OPEC+ agrees third oil output quota hike since Hormuz closure

OPEC+ agreed on Sunday a modest oil output hike for June, an increase that will remain largely on paper as long as the Iran war continues to disrupt Gulf oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Seven OPEC+ countries will raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day in June, the third consecutive monthly increase, OPEC+ said in a statement after an online meeting. The increase is the same as that agreed for May minus the share of the United Arab Emirates, which left the group on May 1....

Gulf leaders to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss response to Iranian strikes

April 28, 2026 4:40 PM

Gulf leaders to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss response to Iranian strikes

Saudi Arabia will host an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago. A Gulf official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting aimed to craft a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks Gulf states have faced since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on February 28. The war has seen key energy infrast...

EXPLAINER-The Hormuz digital chokepoint: How does the Iran war threaten subsea cables?

April 28, 2026 3:36 PM

EXPLAINER-The Hormuz digital chokepoint: How does the Iran war threaten subsea cables?

Iran warned last week that submarine cables in the Strait of Hormuz were a vulnerable point for the region's digital economy, raising concerns about potential attacks on critical infrastructure. The narrow waterway, already a chokepoint for global oil shipments, is equally vital for the digital world. Several fibre-optic cables snake across the seabed of the strait, connecting countries from India and Southeast Asia to Europe via the Gulf states and Egypt. WHAT MAKES UNDERSEA CABLES IMPORTANT?...

Centre: Indian seafarers safe, 12.38 lakh passengers return from West Asia

April 24, 2026 8:18 PM

Centre: Indian seafarers safe, 12.38 lakh passengers return from West Asia

The Centre on Friday said all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, even as it stepped up coordination to assist nationals in West Asia. Officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said maritime operations remain normal, with ports across the country functioning without congestion. The government is working with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakehol...