Gulf

Iran tests drones in military exercise

Iran launched exercises featuring a wide array of domestically produced drones on Tuesday, Iranian media reported, days after the anniversary of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general by a drone strike…

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OPEC+ deadlocked over raising oil output, to resume talks today

OPEC+ will resume talks today after reaching a deadlock over February oil output levels as Saudi Arabia argued against pumping more due to new lockdowns while Russia led calls for…

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Iran resumes uranium enrichment programme

Iran has resumed 20% uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear facility, the government said on Monday, breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by U.S.…

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Qatar, Saudi Arabia ‘agree to open airspace, land and sea border’ – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera - Saudi Arabia, Qatar agree to open airspace, land and sea border, Kuwait’s foreign ministry announced on Monday. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the announcement, saying that Saudi…

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Iran says it resumes 20% enrichment at Fordow in latest nuclear deal breach

Iran has resumed 20% uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear facility, the government said on Monday, breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by U.S.…

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UPDATED: South Korean-flagged tanker seized by Iran

Iranian media reported on Monday that the country's elite Revolutionary Guards navy has seized a South Korean vessel "for polluting the Persian Gulf with chemicals". A South Korean-flagged tanker appears…

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Saudi Arabia ends entry ban but keeps some coronavirus restrictions

Saudi Arabia said that entry to the kingdom by sea land and air will be resumed starting Sunday after a ban that lasted two weeks amid fears of a new…

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Iran’s foreign minister urges Trump to avoid Israel ‘trap’ to provoke war

DUBAI, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday not to be "trapped" by an alleged Israeli plan to provoke a war through attacks…

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UAE reports record COVID-19 cases for fourth consecutive day

The United Arab Emirates has recorded its fourth straight record number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, reporting 1,963 cases on Saturday. The new cases recorded in the…

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Iran to enrich uranium to 20%

Iran has told the United Nations nuclear watchdog it plans to enrich uranium to up to 20% purity, a level it achieved before its 2015 accord, at its Fordow site…

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Iran allocates $150,000 for families of victims of Ukraine plane crash

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Iran's cabinet on Wednesday allocated $150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane shot down in Iranian airspace in January,…

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Blast, gunfire at Aden airport after plane carrying new government lands, 5 killed

ADEN, Dec 30 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and dozens more wounded in an attack on Aden airport, shortly after a plane carrying a newly formed government…

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Iran starts human testing of first domestic COVID-19 vaccine

DUBAI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Iran launched human trials of its first domestic COVID-19 vaccine candidate, state media reported on Tuesday, which Tehran says could help it defeat the pandemic…

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Special Report: UAE emerges as hub for companies helping Venezuela avoid U.S. oil sanctions

In June, the United States imposed sanctions on half a dozen oil tankers managed by established shipping firms. It was a major escalation of American attempts to choke off Venezuela’s…

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Storms kill 12 climbers in Iran, capsized ship crew missing in Gulf

DUBAI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall has killed 12 climbers in mountains north of Iran's capital, Tehran, while rough waters capsized a ship in the Gulf and left its…

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Saudi Arabia announces four oil and gas discoveries

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry on Sunday announced the discovery of four new oil and gas fields, state news agency SPA reported. State oil producer Aramco discovered oil in the Al-Ajramiyah…

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Dubai ruler approves $15.5 billion budget for 2021

Dubai, the business and financial hub of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has approved a 57.1 billion dirham ($15.55 billion) budget for 2021, its ruler said on Sunday. The statement…

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Iran says U.S. approved its funds transfer to buy COVID vaccines

DUBAI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Iran has won U.S. approval to transfer funds for coronavirus vaccines from overseas, the central bank chief said on Thursday, as its daily death toll…

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Dubai economy to grow 4% in 2021, rebounding from this year’s contraction

Dubai, the financial and business hub of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is forecast to grow by 4% in 2021, recovering for a projected 6.2% contraction this year, the government…

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Plea to save conjoined twins ‘in critical condition’ in war torn Yemen

BBC - Doctors in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have called for urgent help to save the lives of conjoined twins who were born on Wednesday. The head of the al-Sabeen…

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Oman to close borders on Tuesday for one week

Oman will close its land, air and sea borders on Tuesday at 1 a.m. for one week, state television reported on Monday. The decision follows measures imposed by various countries…

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Rockets fired at U.S. embassy in Baghdad

At least eight Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone in an attack targeting the U.S. Embassy, causing some minor damage on the compound on Sunday, the Iraqi…

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Magnitude 4.5 quake shakes northwest Iran near Turkish border – IRNA

(Reuters) - A magnitude-4.5 earthquake shook Iran’s northwest near the Turkish border on Sunday, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported, saying there were no immediate reports of casualties. The…

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Italy authorises Abu Dhabi fund to invest in TIM’s grid – sources

The Italian government has given Abu Dhabi's biggest sovereign fund a conditional green light to invest in Telecom Italia's (TIM) last-mile network, three sources close to the matter told Reuters…

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UPDATE – Oil tanker attack in Saudi Arabia considered as a ‘terrorism’ act

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that a fuel transport ship anchored at a Jeddah terminal was hit by an explosive-laden boat in what it called a terrorist attack, after shipping…

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UAE’s non-oil economy to grow 3.6% in 2021

United Arab Emirates' (UAE) non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 3.6% in 2021, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday citing central bank estimates, suggesting the…

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UAE, Israel export credit agencies sign agreement to boost trade

The export credit agencies of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have signed a cooperation agreement to develop economic relations between the two countries, the UAE's state news agency…

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Explosion near Baghdad airport, cause unclear, no casualties – sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An explosion took place near Baghdad international airport on Saturday in an area housing Iraqi military compounds, but caused no damage or casualties, security sources said. The…

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Iran executes dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam – state media

(Reuters) -Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of fomenting violence during the 2017 anti-government protests, was executed on Saturday, Iran's state television reported. Iran's Supreme Court on Tuesday…

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Some of those involved in killing of Iranian nuclear scientist arrested, official says

DUBAI (Reuters) - Some of those involved in the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist last month have been arrested, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, an adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker, said…

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Iran upholds death sentence against French-based journalist captured last year

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence against a dissident journalist who was captured in 2019 after years in exile in France, the judiciary said on Tuesday.…

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Pope Francis to restart international travel in March with a journey to Iraq

Pope Francis is set to break a 15-month hiatus from international travel with what is sure to be a historic visit to the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq. The Director…

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Kuwaiti opposition make gains in first parliamentary vote under new emir

Opposition candidates made gains in a parliamentary vote in Kuwait in which two thirds of MPs lost their seats and no women were elected, a result which analysts said could…

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Iran’s coronavirus deaths surpass 50,000

Iran’s total death toll from coronavirus surpassed 50,000 on Saturday with 321 new fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, as the number of cases in…

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Resolution of bitter dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia within reach

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Friday a resolution to a bitter dispute with Qatar seemed "within reach" after Kuwait announced progress towards ending a row that Washington says hampers…

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Kuwaitis go to polls as economy poses challenge for new emir

Kuwaitis vote in legislative polls on Saturday as the Gulf state faces its worst economic crisis in decades, posing a challenge for the government's often stormy relationship with parliament, that…

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Bahrain grants emergency-use authorisation for Pfizer coronavirus vaccine

The island kingdom of Bahrain has become the second nation in the world after the UK to grant an emergency-use authorisation for the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and its…

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Saudi non-oil private sector keeps growing as COVID-19 impact eases – PMI

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector activity expanded for the third straight month in November as the economy recovers steadily from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed on…

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Iran points finger at opposition, Israel on scientist murder

A senior Iranian official said on Monday an opposition group was suspected alongside Israel in the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist, an attack that has raised the prospect of a new standoff…

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Iran to give a ‘calculated’ response to nuclear scientist killing, says official

Iran will give a "calculated and decisive" response to the killing of its top nuclear scientist, said a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, while a hardline newspaper suggested Tehran's…

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How close is Iran to producing a nuclear bomb?

A 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is being eroded and efforts to revive the pact face a new challenge with the killing of Tehran's top nuclear scientist.…

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Deployment of aircraft carrier in Gulf not linked to Iran developments – US

U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was deployed to the Gulf this week, days before the killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist, although the U.S. Navy said on Saturday the deployment…

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Iran Ayatollah promises retaliation for top nuclear scientist killing

Iran's supreme leader promised on Saturday to retaliate for the killing of the Islamic Republic's top nuclear scientist, raising the threat of a new confrontation with the West and Israel…

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Killing of suspected Iranian nuclear mastermind risks confrontation

An Iranian scientist long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb programme was killed in an ambush near Tehran on Friday that could provoke confrontation between Iran and its foes…

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UAE halts new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim states

The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned…

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Saudi Aramco says customers unaffected by Houthi attack on Jeddah facility

An official from the Saudi Aramco oil company on Tuesday said customers were unaffected by an attack that came from Yemen's Houthi group at a petroleum products distribution plant in…

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Dubai expects economic boost from UAE golden visa extension

Dubai said the economic growth rate could increase by up to 1% because of plans by the United Arab Emirates to extend to more categories a "golden" visa system which…

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Missile fired at Saudi Aramco site in Jeddah

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on Monday said it fired a missile at a distribution station operated by the Saudi Aramco oil company in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea city of Jeddah…

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Iran vows to defeat any Israeli attempt to harm its Syrian role

Iran on Sunday vowed to defeat any Israeli attempt to harm its role in Syria, saying the era of "hit and run" attacks by Israel there was over, days after…

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Turkey’s Erdogan, Saudi king agree to solve issues through dialogue – Turkish presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz agreed in a phone call improve bilateral ties and solve outstanding disputes through dialogue, the Turkish presidency said early…

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Qatar

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet negotiators from both the Afghan government and the Taliban during his visit to Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Saturday. This comes as President…

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Israel, Bahrain cement new ties with pledges of embassies and visas

Bahrain and Israel said they would open embassies, establish online visa systems and launch weekly flights between the countries soon, in a broadened cooperation promoted by Washington as an economic…

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Trump considered attacking Iran last week

President Donald Trump, with two months left in office, last week asked for options on attacking Iran's main nuclear site, but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a U.S.…

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Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to start direct flights to Israel next year

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said on Monday it would start daily flights to Tel Aviv in March after the United Arab Emirates and Israel's established formal ties this year. Flight…

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UAE widens ‘golden’ visa to allow 10-year residency to some

The United Arab Emirates will extend its "golden" visa system - which grants 10-year residency in the Gulf state - to certain professionals, specialised degree-holders and others, the UAE's vice…

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Saudi Arabia warns it will strike those who threaten its security

Saudi Arabia will strike those who threaten the kingdom’s security and stability with an “iron fist”, the crown prince said, after an attack on a Remembrance Day ceremony injured two…

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Pandemic sends Emirates to half-year loss for first time over 30 years

State-owned Emirates said on Thursday that Dubai would help it through the coronavirus crisis after losses of $3.4 billion tipped the airline's holding company into its first half-year loss in…

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