Gulf

US to send 1,500 extra troops to Middle East

The US is to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter the "ongoing threat posed by Iranian forces", the acting defence secretary says. Congress has been notified about…

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Pentagon doesn’t exclude sending troops to the Middle East

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East. The troops will serve as one of the ways…

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Germany to mediate in Iranian crisis

Germany is going to attempt to mediate in the current crisis between the United States and Iran. According to report in German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), the policy director…

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UAE to guarantee maritime freedom in the region

While hosting Jordan's King Abdullah, on an official visit to Emirates, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince said the United Arab Emirates is working with Arab countries to guarantee maritime freedom in…

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Drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Najran airport

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Najran airport, the group’s Almasirah TV said early on Wednesday. It said it targeted hangars containing war planes.…

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Trump warns Iran: It will be your end

After that in the past few days President Donald Trump tried to reach out to Iran to deescalate the ever rising tension, he now issued a very stern warning. In…

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Fears of a miscalculation in ongoing Iran-US tension

Amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East, with both the US and Iran strengthening their military presence Eurasia Group’s Henry Rome, the risk of miscalculation by Washington and…

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Gulf nations approve US request to deploy troops

The United States is planning to deploy military forces in the waters of the Arabian Gulf and in a number of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to media reports in…

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US warns airliners of flying risks in Gulf

As the tension in the Gulf shows no signs of abating, U.S. diplomats warned that commercial airliners flying over the wider Arabian Gulf faced a risk of being “misidentified” amid…

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Filipinos and Korean released in Libya after months of captivity

Authorities in Seoul and Abu Dhabi announced that one South Korean and three Filipinos have been released following months of captivity in Libya. The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry…

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USS Abraham Lincoln ready for every eventuality

Fox News is reporting that the USS Abraham Lincoln is now on station in the northern Arabian Sea amid rising tension with Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln is accompanied…

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Britain raises threat level in Iraq

Sky News is reporting that Britain has raised the threat level for UK forces and diplomats in Iraq because of what sources say is a heightened security risk from Iran.…

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Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency for expatriates

For the first time Saudi Arabia has introduced a scheme where certain expatriates can obtain permanent residency, allowing them to own real estate and reside with their families without…

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Germany and the Netherlands suspend military training in Iraq

Germany and the Netherlands are suspending military training operations in Iraq due to increasing regional tensions and an unspecified threat. The Germany Defence Ministry said it has no indications of its…

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Houthi rebels in Yemen take responsibility for drone attack in Saudi

Houthi rebels in Yemen have taken responsibility for the drone attacks that shut down one of Saudi Arabia's major oil pipelines further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage…

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Washington orders non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of “non-emergency government employees” from Iraq, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said in a statement. Referring to the embassy and the…

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Saudi oil facilities attacked by drones

Saudi Arabia said armed drones struck two of its oil pumping stations on Tuesday, two days after the sabotage of oil tankers near the United Arab Emirates. Tuesday's attacks on…

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Trump insists he doesn’t want war with Iran

President Donald Trump insisted that the United States is not preparing for war with Iran despite recent escalating tensions. Whilst emphasising that a report that the White House is considering…

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Emergency talks in Brussels about Iranian situation

Foreign ministers from France, Germany and the UK were to meet the EU in Brussels later on Monday to discuss Iran’s recent threat to breach commitments of the 2015 nuclear…

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Israel doesn’t exclude possibility of Iranian attack

An Israeli cabinet minister warned on Sunday of possible direct or proxy Iranian attacks on Israel should the stand-off between Tehran and Washington escalate. The United States has increased economic…

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UPDATED: Four commercial vessels sabotaged in UAE… reports of explosions at Fujairah port denied

Four commercial vessels have been targeted by "sabotage operations" near territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE foreign ministry said the sabotage attempt occurred in the Gulf of…

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Iranian commander says US military in Gulf a target

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represented a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency…

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U.S. warns merchant ships of possible Iranian attacks

Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers, the U.S. Maritime Administration said on Friday, as a senior Iranian cleric said a U.S. Navy fleet could be “destroyed with…

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US increases military presence in the Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

The US is sending a Patriot air defence missile system and a warship to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports amphibious vehicles and…

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EU rejects ‘ultimatums’ from Iran over nuclear deal

The EU has rejected any "ultimatums" from Iran, according to a joint statement released by the EU, France, Germany, and the UK. Iran said Wednesday that it planned to cease…

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B-52 bombers being deployed to Middle East amid rising tension with Iran

The U.S. military announced that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of…

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As tension mounts between Washington and Tehran… Iran says it will stop complying with parts of nuclear deal

Iran’s president declared on Wednesday that the country would stop complying with two of its commitments under the Iranian nuclear deal, pushing the growing confrontation between Washington and Tehran into…

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The US to send “unmistakable message” to Iran

John Bolton, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, announced the United States is sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a…

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‘Extremist militias’ control Libyan capital – UAE

"Extremist militias" controlling the Libyan capital, Tripoli, were "derailing" the search for a political solution to the country's crisis, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said…

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Emirates sees pace of growth slowing

Emirates President Tim Clark said on Monday the airline’s last financial year has not been easy and that the company is not growing at its previous pace due to political…

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No increase in Saudi Arabian oil output for now

The Financial Times is reporting that Saudi Arabia will not rapidly ramp up its oil output after the US ended the sanctions waivers for buyers of Iranian crude. This was…

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Woman wakes up after 27 years in a coma

A woman from the United Arab Emirates who was seriously injured in a traffic accident in 1991 has emerged from a 27-year-long coma. Munira Abdulla, who was aged 32 at…

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US to end exemptions from sanctions for countries buying oil from Iran

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the State Department will not renew sanction waivers for countries importing Iranian oil. The increased pressure on Iran comes nearly one year after…

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ISIS takes responsibility for Sunday’s attack in Saudi Arabia

ISIS is claiming that it was behind an attack on Sunday on a Saudi Interior Ministry building in the town of Zulfi. An attack in which all four gunmen…

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Reports of terrorist attack in Saudi capital

The Arab News and Al-Arabiya TV are reporting a terrorist attack in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Four attackers were killed in a failed terrorist attack on an interior ministry building…

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Slideshow: The Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai

A guest in a costume attends the Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) in Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The MEFCC is held annually ever since…

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British mother free to leave Dubai after Facebook insult

A British single mother arrested in Dubai for insulting her ex-husband’s new wife on Facebook, has been allowed to return to the UK. The campaign group Detained in Dubai reported…

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U.S. declares Iran’s Revolutionary Guard As A Foreign Terrorist Organization

As expected, the Trump administration designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization, taking an unprecedented step as it seems to increase pressure on Iran's regime. The…

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British mother in Dubai risking 2 years in jail and €58,000 fine because of old FB post

A British single mother faces up to two years in jail and a fine of €58,000 in Dubai after being detained over comments she made on social media in 2016…

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Saudi Arabia considering ditching dollar for oil trades

In an exclusive report, Reuters said that Saudi Arabia is threatening to sell its oil in currencies other than the dollar if Washington passes a bill exposing OPEC members to…

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Saudi King Salman to visit Bahrain

Bahrain’s news agency BNA said Saudi Arabia’s King Salman today is expected to visit Bahrain to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments without more giving details. The visit comes a…

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Key British infrastructure was the target of ‘major cyber assault’ by Iran

Sky News reported that the UK Post Office and local government networks were both hit in coordinated attacks on 23 December. Cyber attacks for which Iran is being blamed in…

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Interpol issues Red Notices over Khashoggi killing

Turkish officials revealed that Interpol had issued red notices for 20 people in connection with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. An Interpol red notice informs the police…

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Khashoggi was most likely burned in an oven at the Saudi diplomatic residence in Istanbul

Khashoggi was likely burned in an oven at the Saudi diplomatic residence in Istanbul A documentary by Al Jazeera Arabic that aired on Sunday alleges that the body of slain…

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Iranian President meets Austrian Chancellor

DW: Hassan Rouhani has met with Austrian Chancellor Kurz and President Van der Bellen in a bid to save the Iran nuclear deal. But his trip has been overshadowed by an…

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Saudi Arabia to increase oil production – Trump

Euronews: The leader of Saudi Arabia promised US President Donald Trump that he can boost oil production if needed and the country has 2 million barrels per day of spare capacity…

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Iran’s Khamenei urges judiciary to confront those who harm the economy

Al Jazeera: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned against those "who disrupt economic security", threatening legal action in response to economic protests that began on Monday over the rial's…

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Saudi women are in the driver’s seat for first time

AP: Saudi women are in the driver's seat for the first time in their country and steering their way through busy city streets just minutes after the world's last remaining…

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Iraq killes 45 IS jihadists

The Telegraph: Iraq said Saturday it had killed 45 jihadists from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), including senior members, in an air strike in eastern Syria. Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out…

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Saudi National Team safe after official team plane caught fire in mid air

Mirror: Saudi Arabia's official team plane caught fire in mid air as they travelled to their next World Cup match. Flames were seen from the engine as the Russian Airlines…

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Yemeni Hudaida Airport captured by Saudi-UAE forces

Al Jazeera: Forces from a Saudi and Emirati-led coalition have captured the airport in Yemen's port city of Hudaida, military officials announced on Twitter. In a post on Saturday, an account…

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Saudi Arabia, UAE, launch attack on Yemen’s port city of Hudaida

AlJazeera: UN warns of devastating consequences for 250,000 Hudaida residents as coalition targets Houthi rebels in port city. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have launched an assault on…

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World Cup: Trump’s sanctions means Nike can’t supply shoes for Iranian football team

ESPN : Iran's national team was always going to face a difficult challenge in trying to compete with more established nations at the World Cup, but suddenly there is a…

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Iraq: Moqtada Sadr announces political alliance with pro Iranian al-Ameri

France 24: Nationalist cleric Moqtada Sadr announced on Tuesday a surprise political alliance with pro-Iranian Hadi al-Ameri in a bid to lead Iraq over the next four years. The two blocs…

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18 dead in explosion in Sadr City (Baghdad)

At least 18 people are thought to have been killed and over 90 wounded after an explosion at Baghdad's Sadr City district mosque. (Euronews) While initial reports pointed to a terrorist attack…

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The world should stand up to US bullying behaviour – Iranian Foreign Minister

The world should stand up to Washington’s bullying behaviour, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying on Sunday by state media in a letter to counterparts, as…

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Saudi threatens military action against Qatar

In a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron of France, Saudi King Salman expressed his "profound concern" with talks under way between Moscow and Doha for the sale of the…

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