Gulf

UPDATED: U.S. Centcom says Iranian-made drone hit Pacific Zircon tanker off Oman

DUBAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - An attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman on Tuesday was carried out by an Iranian-made drone, U.S. Central Command said in a…

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Iran says several French intelligence agents arrested during protests

DUBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Several French intelligence agents were arrested in relation to protests in Iran, the country's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV on Wednesday, as anti-government…

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UAE bans unapproved price increases for staple goods

CAIRO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has forbidden any increase in the prices of nine basic staple goods without prior government approval, state news agency WAM said…

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Iran’s unrest sounds death knell for once vibrant reformists

(Reuters) - The protests sweeping Iran have sounded the death knell for a once vibrant reform movement, revealing a big divide with Iranians in the streets demanding an end to…

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Italian travel blogger arrested in Iran freed

MILAN, Nov 10 (Reuters) - An Italian travel blogger arrested in Iran has been released and will return home, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday. "After…

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Iran’s security forces struggle to suppress unrest

(Reuters) - Iran's Army Ground Forces Commander said that "rioters" would have no place in the Islamic Republic if the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a tougher crackdown…

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Iran warns Saudi Arabia ‘our strategic patience’ may run out

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's intelligence minister told its regional rival Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that there is no guarantee of Tehran continuing its "strategic patience," according to semi-official Fars news…

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Qatar minister accuses Germany of ‘double standards’ in World Cup criticism

Qatar's foreign minister has accused Germany of "double standards" over its criticism of the World Cup host's human rights record and has defended its summoning of the German ambassador, in…

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Iran says it tests satellite-carrying rocket, U.S. calls move ‘destabilising’

Recasts with U.S. reaction DUBAI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-carrying rocket on Saturday, state media reported, a move the United States called "unhelpful and destabilising". Washington…

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Pope wraps up Bahrain trip with visit to Gulf’s oldest church

MANAMA, Bahrain (Reuters) - Pope Francis wound up his trip to Bahrain on Sunday by visiting the oldest Catholic church in the Gulf, telling bishops, priests and nuns to remain…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Dubai, UAE

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’s security forces targeting university students to control protests

Iran’s security forces have launched a series of attacks on university students at campuses across the country with dozens of students being arrested, according to the Students’ Union of Iran.…

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Pope Francis thrills small Gulf Catholic community with big Mass

AWALI, Bahrain, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said Mass for thousands of Catholics in Bahrain on Saturday, thrilling members of the small foreign Catholic community from around the Gulf…

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Saudi Arabia considers new mining index in diversification push

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is considering setting up a new metals and mining stock exchange index as it looks to expand its resources sector to diversify away from hydrocarbons, a…

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Crypto exchange Binance helped Iranian firms trade $8 billion despite sanctions

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Crypto giant Binance has processed Iranian transactions with a value of $8 billion since 2018 despite U.S. sanctions intended to cut Iran off from the…

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Pope, in Bahrain, condemns rearmament pushing world to ‘precipice’

AWALI, Bahrain, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday appealed to religious leaders to help bring the world back from "the brink of a delicate precipice" and oppose a…

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Russia says Western media trying to stir Gulf tensions

MOSCOW, Nov (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday that Western media had launched a campaign that could trigger escalation in the Gulf, his…

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Pope Francis leaves on Thursday for Bahrain

VATICAN CITY, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis leaves on Thursday for Bahrain, a trip aimed at improving ties with the Islamic world but which could thrust him into a…

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Photo Story: Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022

Members of Al Fursan aerobatics demonstration team of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) perform during Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022 at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab…

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U.S. concerned about Iranian threats to Saudi Arabia

The United States is concerned about threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia and will not hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson warned. "We are concerned about the…

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Saudi Arabia signals mining focus as it looks to diversify

SYDNEY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia plans to award over a dozen mining exploration licences to international investors as it looks to enter the mining sector in a big…

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Iran university students strike, piling pressure on rulers

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian university students pressed ahead with sit-down strikes on Tuesday in support of some of the biggest protests since the 1979 revolution, ignoring harsh warnings by elite…

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Whatever we do won’t be enough, says Henderson on Qatar protests

England's Harry Kane will join other captains and wear 'One Love' armbands at the Qatar World Cup but midfielder Jordan Henderson says some fans will expect players to do more…

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Iran’s Guards seize vessel carrying 11 mln litres of smuggled fuel in Gulf – SNN

DUBAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized a foreign vessel carrying 11 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Gulf on Monday, according to the Student News Network's…

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Iranians appear to defy warning from powerful Guards with more protests

(Reuters) - Iranian students defied warnings from the feared Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia that nationwide protests must end by Sunday, prompting a fierce response from riot police and militia,…

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Iran’s Guards head tells protesters: ‘Today is last day of riots’

(Reuters) - The commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Hossein Salami warned protesters that Saturday would be their last day of taking to the streets. "Do not come to the…

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Saudi finance minister says next six months ‘very good’ for Gulf

RIYADH, (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's finance minister said the next six months, and possibly six years, would be "very good" for the Gulf Arab countries but "very difficult" for the…

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Islamic State claims Iran shrine attack, Iran vows response

(Reuters) - The militant group Islamic State said it carried out an attack on a Shi'ite Muslim shrine in Iran on Wednesday which killed 15 people, escalating tensions in a…

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Qatar faced unprecedented criticism as host country of World Cup, Emir says

Qatar has faced unprecedented criticism since it was picked as the host of the 2022 World Cup, some of which has amounted to slander, the country's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad…

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Protests rage in Iran’s southeast, amid crackdown call

(Reuters) - Protests broke out in restive southeastern Iran on Friday, with demonstrators attacking banks, state media reported, as a senior hardline cleric called for tough measures against demonstrators across…

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Iran warns against travel to Ukraine and tells Iranians to leave country

Iran’s foreign ministry advised its citizens on Friday to refrain from travelling to Ukraine and asked Iranians there to leave the country. “Due to the military escalation in Ukraine, all…

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Russians are Dubai’s top non-resident property

DUBAI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Russians were the top non-resident buyers of residential property in Dubai in the third quarter, consultancy Betterhomes said, as they seek a safe haven from…

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Iran agrees to ship missiles, more drones to Russia

(Reuters) - Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface to surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters, a move…

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Kuwait’s new government sworn in after reshuffle aimed at defusing tensions

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Kuwait's crown prince swore in the new government on Monday, state news agency KUNA reported, following a reshuffle aimed at addressing lawmakers' objections to the original…

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Iran prison fire death toll rises as protests rage

DUBAI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Eight prisoners died as a result of a fire at Tehran's Evin prison over the weekend, Iran's judiciary said on Monday, doubling the death toll…

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Saudi king Salman says kingdom seeks stability and balance in oil markets

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi King Salman said the kingdom was working hard to support stability and balance in oil markets, including by establishing and maintaining the agreement of the OPEC+…

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UPDATED: Iran prison fire kills four, injures 61 as protests persist

Oct 16 (Reuters) - A fire at Iran's Evin prison late on Saturday killed four detainees and injured 61, state media reported, as anti-government protests sparked by a woman's death…

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UPDATED: Iran’s top judge orders harsh sentences for ‘main elements of riots’ as protests persist

Iran's judiciary chief said on Thursday he had ordered judges to issue tough sentences for the "main elements of riots", sparked after the death of a young woman in custody…

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Chinese ‘flying car’ makes first public flight in Dubai

DUBAI, (Reuters) - A "flying car" built by Chinese electronic vehicle maker Xpeng Inc made its first public flight in the United Arab Emirates, as the company works towards launching…

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Biden vows consequences for Saudi Arabia after OPEC decision

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden pledged "there will be consequences" for U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced last week that it would cut oil production over U.S.…

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Iran calls on foreign visitors to respect law as protests persist

Foreign visitors to Iran should respect the Islamic Republic's laws, its foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday amid continued protests over a woman's death in police custody that Tehran has…

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Protests grip Iran as rights group says 19 children killed

DUBAI (Reuters) -Protests ignited by the death of a young woman in police custody continued across Iran on Sunday in defiance of a crackdown by the authorities, as a human…

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Women students tell Iran’s president to ‘get lost’ as unrest rages

DUBAI, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Female students in Tehran chanted "get lost" as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited their university campus on Saturday and condemned protesters enraged by the death of a young…

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Iranians keep up the heat on leaders with protests, strikes

DUBAI, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Iranians enraged over the death of a young woman in police custody braved bullets and tear gas on Saturday, a human rights group said, pressing…

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OPEC+ oil output cut shows widening rift between Biden and Saudi royals

WASHINGTON/LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The OPEC+ organization's decision this week to cut oil production despite stiff U.S. opposition has further strained already tense relations between President Joe Biden's White…

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France urges its nationals to leave Iran; Tehran denies killing 16-year-old, says she fell off roof

PARIS, (Reuters) - France urged its nationals to leave Iran as soon as possible, saying they were exposed to the risk of arbitrary detentions. "Any French visitor, including dual nationals,…

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Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes northwestern Iran – USGS

Oct 5 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck northwestern Iran on Wednesday, and state television said medical authorities in the area reported that at least 276 people had been…

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Iran’s leader backs police over Mahsa Amini protests, may signal tougher crackdown

Iran's Supreme leader on Monday gave his full backing to security forces confronting protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, comments that could herald a harsher crackdown…

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Iran lawmakers chant “thank you, police” amid growing public fury over woman’s death

(Reuters) - Iranian lawmakers chanted "thank you, thank you, police" during a parliament session on Sunday, amid weeks of anti-government protests across Iran following the death of a young woman…

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UPDATED: Kuwait crown prince accepts government resignation following elections

Oct 2 (Reuters) - Kuwait's crown prince accepted the government's resignation on Sunday following a parliamentary election in the Gulf Arab country in which opposition candidates made considerable gains, state…

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Iran protests over young woman’s death continue, 83 said killed

(Reuters) - Protests continued in several cities across Iran against the death of young woman in police custody, state and social media reported, as a human rights group said at…

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Rockets hit central Baghdad for second day in escalating unrest

BAGHDAD, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Four rockets fired from eastern Baghdad on Thursday landed around the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign missions, police said, as…

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As protests spread, Iran president says Amini’s death is ‘tragic incident’, but ‘chaos’ unacceptable

(Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the death of a young woman in custody had "saddened" everyone in the Islamic Republic, but warned that "chaos" would not be…

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Iran’s nationwide protests pile pressure on state

DUBAI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Iranian riot police deployed in Tehran's main squares on Wednesday to confront people chanting "death to the dictator" as nationwide protests over the death of…

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Saudi king names crown prince MbS as prime minister

RIYADH, (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz named his son and heir Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the kingdom's prime minister and his second son Prince Khalid…

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Israel to sell air defence system to United Arab Emirates, sources say

DUBAI/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Israel has agreed to sell an advanced air defence system to the United Arab Emirates, two sources familiar with the matter said, in the first such…

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Iran’s President Raisi says protesters should be ‘confronted decisively’

Iran must deal decisively with protests which have swept the country after the death in custody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said…

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