Coverage of the Middle East including diplomacy, security, energy, and regional affairs.
Middle EastThe US has deployed two additional Patriot air-defense batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to shield key oil and gas facilities as President Trump weighs resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.
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Middle EastPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. must decide whether to ‘blow up’ Iran or make a deal, warning the seven-month war ‘is going to end very soon, one way or the other’ as Tehran weighs Washington’s formal response to its proposal.
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Middle EastThree Liberian-flagged oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping intelligence says, in a sharp escalation of the tanker war playing out alongside the U.S.–Iran conflict.
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Middle EastThe US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission against ISIS. The last troops left Erbil Air Base as security responsibility shifts to Iraqi forces.
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Middle EastIran Offers Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on September 25, 2026, that Iran has formally proposed a deal to the United States aimed at reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz within a week. Speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York, Araghchi stated that the reopening
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Middle EastIran’s security chief says Tehran sent terms to Washington through Qatari mediators and awaits Trump’s reply, as Saudi air defences say they intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh.
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Middle EastThe United States and Iran have escalated their conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides engaging in tit-for-tat attacks on tankers and ships. The latest exchanges have further dimmed hopes for a de-escalation through diplomacy, as the US-Israel war on Iran continues to disrupt energy supplies and slow economic growth around the world.
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