Middle East

Iran's top security official threatened to treat regional countries as enemies if they support U.S. efforts to pressure Iran's economy following new sanctions.

Denis Michael Rohan set fire to the Jerusalem holy site on Aug. 21, 1969, destroying a 12th-century pulpit and escalating regional tensions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will impose sweeping sanctions and maintain a blockade on Iran, calling on other nations to join the effort to isolate the country economically.

NATO pointed to four successful intercepts of Iranian ballistic missiles over Turkey this year as evidence of its defensive capability.

Chancellor Merz condemned National Security Minister Ben-Gvir's call for nightly targeted killings in Gaza, but Berlin has not committed to supporting EU sanctions.

Armed forces chief Ali Abdollahi said assistance to U.S. forces at regional bases amounts to direct participation in hostilities.

A UN database names 158 companies operating in West Bank settlements; Human Rights Watch identified seven Israeli banks funding construction directly.

Nearly a dozen fishermen died off Bandar Abbas during 40 days of fighting; survivors returned after three months idle, finding nets snagged on sunken wreckage

The Israeli prime minister told his cabinet Sunday that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas surrenders all weapons, breaking with Trump's peace framework.

Year-on-year inflation reached 88 percent by late July as a naval blockade and five months of war push ordinary Iranians to the financial edge.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says a maritime route deal with Oman is close but separate from any decision to reopen the strait, which hinges on Washington meeting six demands.

The Iranian president cited port blockades, oil sanctions and bombed industrial sites as both sides showed no sign of returning to peace talks.

Adm. Brad Cooper joined envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aboard the nuclear carrier Feb. 7, capping a 10-day sweep of Gulf nations with more than 50,000 U.S. troops deployed across the region.

Government-aligned troops have carried out drone strikes on Houthi positions across six provinces, challenging a weapon the group has long used with near-total freedom.

Democratic lawmakers cite food shortages, contaminated water and mental health problems aboard the carrier deployed since November 2025.

The Muslim Brotherhood won Egypt's presidency and a parliamentary plurality in 2012, but a military coup in July 2013 reversed both gains within 13 months.

Lawmakers replaced all existing death sentences with life imprisonment on Tuesday, making Lebanon the first country in the region to formally end capital punishment.

Doha said efforts are in advanced stages, with Qatar, Pakistan and Oman working to halt exchanges of strikes and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemeni government forces accused Iran-backed Houthis of new ballistic missile attacks on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha and residential areas in Marib.

OHCHR head Ajith Sunghay presented a report Monday documenting 72,769 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and war crimes by both Israeli forces and Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023

The first People's Assembly since Bashar Assad's fall includes an actress, a Christian engineer, a Kurdish leader and the widow of an Islamist commander.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2026 ranking places Copenhagen first for a second year, while conflicts drive declines in Tehran, Kyiv and Dubai.

Israeli forces killed at least 26 Palestinians over the weekend, casting doubt on President Trump's recently announced peace plan for Gaza.

Trump's administration released a detailed post-conflict governance roadmap for Gaza, proposing $15 billion in reconstruction aid and U.S.-backed security infrastructure.

Crude prices gained in overnight trading while U.S. equity futures declined, as markets repriced geopolitical risk following a confirmed military interception.

Two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians died in overnight clashes that triggered military searches across more than 300 locations in the occupied territory.

President Trump's diplomatic push for regional peace after potential Iran conflict positions U.S. defense and infrastructure firms for major contracts

President announced agreement to open critical oil transit route after calls with regional leaders, with details coming soon

The targeted strike on Marwan Issa creates power struggles within Hamas and complicates U.S. diplomatic efforts

Beijing's top diplomat issued a direct call to secure the vital oil shipping lane, escalating pressure on regional players to stabilize supply routes

Unauthorized personnel boarded a commercial ship northeast of the UAE, directing it into Iranian waters and heightening risks for oil and trade routes in the Strait of Hormuz

The network targeted military sites and infrastructure, threatening U.S. Fifth Fleet operations and potentially boosting defense spending

Senator Lindsey Graham's call for decisive U.S. action against Iran injects new uncertainty into global markets, forcing a reassessment of inflation expectations and Treasury yields.

Lebanon and Israel negotiations inject cautious optimism into markets, potentially easing oil price volatility and recalibrating safe-haven demand in global fixed income

The controversial Israeli legislation on capital punishment for terror acts intensifies Middle Eastern geopolitical instability, forcing a re-evaluation of global risk appetite and challenging central bank disinflationary efforts.