Gulf

UPDATED: Iranian army says it will confront enemies as protests rage

Sept 23 (Reuters) - The Iranian army said on Friday it will "confront the enemies" to ensure security, the toughest warning yet to nationwide protesters enraged by the death of…

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UPDATED: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issue warning as protests over woman’s death spread

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards called on the Islamic Republic's judiciary on Thursday to prosecute "those who spread false news and rumours" about a young woman whose death in police custody…

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Iran’s Khamenei gives second televised speech after report of illness

Sept 21 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke for the second time in less than a week in a televised speech on Wednesday, appearing healthy after a…

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UPDATED: Two dead and 25 injured in Iran’s Kermanshah following protests

Two people died on Tuesday following protests in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, the city's prosecutor was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the semi-official Fars news agency. "Unfortunately,…

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EU, France see no better deal for Iran

France said on that there would not be a better offer for Iran to revive a nuclear deal with world powers and it was up to Tehran to decide now…

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Iranian police call woman’s death in custody an ‘unfortunate incident’

Iranian police said on Monday the death of a young woman in custody was an "unfortunate incident" which they do not want to see repeated, a semi-official news agency reported.…

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Fury grows in Iran over woman who died after hijab arrest – social media

DUBAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Protests persisted on Sunday and #MahsaAmini became one of the top hashtags ever on Persian-language Twitter as Iranians fumed over the death of a young woman in…

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Kuwait produces more than 2.8 mln bpd barrels per day of oil – KPC CEO

Sept 18 (Reuters) - Kuwait Petroleum Corporation's (KPC) chief executive said on Sunday the Gulf state currently produces more than 2.8 million barrels per day of oil in accordance with…

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Saudi consumer prices up 3% in August on higher food, transport

DUBAI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's consumer price index (CPI) rose 3% in August from a year earlier, official data showed on Thursday, accelerating from a 2.7% increase in…

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Iran to join Asian security body founded by Russia, China

Iran has moved a step closer towards becoming a permanent member of a China and Russia-dominated Asian security body, as Tehran seeks to overcome economic isolation imposed by U.S. sanctions.…

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Israeli minister says Iran using Syria facilities for weapons production

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Iran has used more than 10 military facilities in Syria to produce advanced missiles and weapons for its proxies. For several years, Israel…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A picture taken from 'The View At The Palm' observation deck shows the Burj Al Arab Luxury Hotel (L) and behind it the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa (Back),…

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Iran says it has developed drone ‘designed to hit Israel’s Tel Aviv, Haifa’

Sept 12 (Reuters) - Iran has developed an advanced long-range suicide drone "designed to hit Israel's Tel Aviv, Haifa", the semi-official Mehr News on Monday quoted Iran’s ground forces chief…

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Iran Guards seize foreign ship in Gulf for smuggling diesel

DUBAI, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have seized a foreign vessel in the Gulf for allegedly smuggling 757,000 litres of diesel out of the country, the Iranian…

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Credit Suisse expands in Qatar, launches tech hub

Credit Suisse will expand in Qatar via a partnership with the Gulf country's Investment Promotion Agency (IPA Qatar), the Swiss bank said on Monday. It will create up to 100…

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UAE non-oil private sector grows at fastest pace in 38 months – PMI

DUBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' non-oil private sector grew in August at its fastest pace since June 2019, boosted by better demand and lower selling prices,…

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Saudi non-oil private sector gathers pace in August – PMI

DUBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector expanded in August at its fastest rate since October last year, as business activity was boosted by improving demand conditions,…

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Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes southern Iran region – EMSC

Sept 5 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck southern Iran on Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles),…

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Iran boosts civil defence, lifts anti-aircraft readiness

Iran has equipped 51 of its cities with civil defence systems and boosted readiness at air defences to thwart any possible foreign attack, military officials said, amid an escalation of…

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Four killed as violent clashes move to Iraq’s southern Basra

BAGHDAD, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Four people were killed in clashes among rival Shi'ite Muslim militants in the southern Iraqi city of Basra that took place overnight and on Thursday…

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Iran calls IAEA’s demands ‘excessive’- media

Iran will not accept the U.N. nuclear watchdog's "excessive" demands, the spokesperson of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was cited as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Tuesday. After…

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Deadly clashes rage in Baghdad in Shi’ite power struggle

Heavy clashes erupted in Baghdad, killing almost 20 people on Monday, after powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would quit politics, prompting his loyalists to storm a government palace and fight…

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Kuwait to hold parliamentary election on Sept 29 – KUNA

KUWAIT (Reuters) -Kuwait will hold a parliamentary election on Sept. 29, state news agency KUNA reported, after the Gulf state's crown prince moved to dissolve parliament in a bid to…

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People facing acute food insecurity reach 345 million worldwide – WFP

BAGHDAD, (Reuters) - The number of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide has more than doubled to 345 million since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change,…

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Iran says cooperation with Riyadh can help restoring regional peace

DUBAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday that talks with Saudi Arabia was a separate matter from talks to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact, adding that cooperation between…

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$1,361 fine for leaving children unattended in car in UAE

A $1,361 fine will be issued to anyone who leaves children unattended in cars in the UAE, which may result in injuries or deaths, the Abu Dhabi Police warned this…

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Rushdie’s stabbing highlights divisions in Iranian society

Many Iranians have turned to social media to show their anger and praise over the attack on novelist Salman Rushdie at a lecture in New York state, with some conspiracy…

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Photo Story: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman leads annual Kaaba washing ceremony

A handout photo made available by Saudi Royal Court shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he leads the annual washing ceremony of the Holy Kaaba on behalf of…

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Iran must abandon ‘extraneous’ demands in nuclear talks -U.S.

The only way to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is for Tehran to abandon its extraneous demands, the U.S. State Department said on Monday, saying Washington believes everything that…

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FACTBOX – The three major issues bedevilling talks on reviving Iran nuclear deal

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States are struggling to overcome divisions on three major issues in indirect talks on revival of a 2015 nuclear deal while months…

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Iran will respond to EU’s nuclear text by midnight on Monday, says foreign minister

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iran will respond to the European Union's "final" text by midnight on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, calling on the United States to…

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UPDATED: ‘Ludicrous’ to suggest Rushdie responsible for attack, says Britain

It is "ludicrous" to suggest that novelist Salman Rushdie was responsible for the attack on him, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, after Iran's foreign…

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Timeline of events following Iran’s fatwa against author Salman Rushdie

Indian-born novelist Salman Rushdie, who was attacked on a New York state lecture stage on Friday, spent years in hiding after he was ordered killed by Iran in 1989 because…

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Iran says EU proposal to revive nuclear talks could be ‘acceptable’

DUBAI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A European Union proposal to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “can be acceptable if it provides assurances" on Tehran's key demands, the state news agency IRNA…

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U.S. charges Iranian with plotting to murder ex-Trump adviser Bolton and ex-Secretary of State Pompeo

WASHINGTON, Aug (Reuters) - The United States charged a member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps with plotting to murder John Bolton, a national security adviser to former President Donald…

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WATCH: Russia puts Iranian satellite into orbit

Russia launched an Iranian satellite into orbit on Tuesday from southern Kazakhstan, just three weeks after President Vladimir Putin and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged to work together against…

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Saudis open airspace to more flights serving Israel

Cathay Pacific and Air Seychelles have overflown Saudi Arabia for Israel flights for the first time, aviation data showed, after Riyadh announced last month it would open its airspace to…

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UAE non-oil private sector picks up pace in July – PMI

DUBAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' non-oil private sector grew in July at its second-fastest pace this year as business activity picked up on strong demand and higher sales…

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Saudi non-oil private sector growth slows in July but stays solid – PMI

Aug 3 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector kept up a steady pace of growth in July, albeit slowing slightly from June, helped by increases in customer numbers, purchasing and output,…

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U.N. says Yemen’s warring parties agree only to renew two-month truce

Yemen's warring sides agreed to renew a two-month truce that expired on Tuesday, the United Nations envoy said, despite international pressure for an extended and expanded deal that would build…

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U.S. targets Chinese, UAE firms in new Iran oil sanctions

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese and other firms it said helped to sell tens of millions of dollars' in Iranian oil and petrochemical products to East Asia as…

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Iran nuclear chief: We have technical means to produce atom bomb, no intention of doing so

DUBAI, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Iran has the technical capability to produce an atomic bomb but has no intention of doing so, Mohammad Eslami, head of the country's atomic energy organisation, said…

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Photo Story – UN, US efforts underway to extend Yemen truce

A displaced Yemeni boy walks through a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) amid a UN-brokered nationwide truce, on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen, 30 July 2022 (issued 31 July…

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Sadr’s followers set up for long sit-in at Iraq parliament

BAGHDAD, July 31 (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraqi populist leader Moqtada al-Sadr erected tents and prepared for an open-ended sit-in at Iraq's parliament on Sunday, in a move that could prolong political…

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UPDATE – Supporters of Iraqi cleric Sadr storm Baghdad’s Green Zone again

BAGHDAD, July 30 (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of Shi'ite populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad's fortified government zone and broke into parliament on Saturday for the second time in a week,…

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Dubai property sales surge 60% as investors, Russians flock in

DUBAI, July 29 (Reuters) - Dubai's red-hot property market surged in the first half of the year as investors piled in, with Russians among the top five buyers as the emirate benefits…

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Calm returns to Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone after storming of Parliament

Iraqi protesters retreated from the parliamentary building in central Baghdad early on Thursday morning after demonstrations against a candidate nominated by a group of Shiite parties. The protesters, mainly supporters…

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Iran will keep IAEA cameras turned off until nuclear deal is restored

Iran will keep the UN nuclear watchdog's cameras turned off until a 2015 nuclear deal is restored, the head of the country's Atomic Energy Organisation said on Monday, the semi-official…

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Two strong earthquakes jolt southern Iran, rescuers scour area

DUBAI (Reuters) -Two strong earthquakes on Saturday struck Iran's southern Hormozgan province on the Gulf, prompting authorities to deploy search and rescue teams to the affected areas, an official said.…

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Putin discusses oil market with Saudi crown prince who hosted Biden last week

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Thursday and underlined the importance of further cooperation within the OPEC+ group of oil producers,…

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Putin visits Iran on first trip outside former Soviet Union since Ukraine war

LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran on Tuesday for talks with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Kremlin leader's first trip outside the former Soviet Union…

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Khamenei adviser says Tehran ‘capable of building nuclear bomb’ -Al Jazeera

DUBAI, July 17 (Reuters) - Tehran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb but has yet to decide whether to build one, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei…

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Biden disputes Saudi account of Khashoggi murder discussion

July 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday differed with Saudi Arabia in their account of discussions at a bilateral summit about the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,…

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Biden fails to secure major security, oil commitments at Arab summit

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden told Arab leaders on Saturday that the United States would remain an active partner in the Middle East, but he failed to…

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Russian officials visited Iran to view drones, says U.S. official

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia July 16 (Reuters) - The United States believes that Russian officials visited an airfield in Iran recently to view attack-capable drones, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan…

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Rights group says UAE has detained U.S. lawyer who represented Khashoggi

July 16 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates authorities have detained Asim Ghafoor, a U.S. citizen and civil rights attorney who previously served as a lawyer for slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi,…

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Biden hopes for Israeli integration at Arab summit in Saudi

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss regional missile and defence capabilities on Saturday when he meets Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia, where he will be…

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