middle east

Brent crude dropped to $103.95 a barrel as Saudi Arabia rerouted shipments through Oman, partially offsetting Red Sea pipeline attack impacts.

Rep. Gregory Meeks cites concerns about the use of 2,000-pound munitions in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.

Secretary-General António Guterres urged renewed diplomacy between the United States and Iran, warning that disregard for international law is deepening Middle East instability.

Brent crude jumped 3% to $107 on Middle East supply disruptions, forcing bond traders to reprice terminal rate expectations and duration risk.

Government air raids and artillery targeted Houthi positions in Marib, al-Jawf, and Taiz following Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast.

More than 30 explosions reported in Al-Mansouri as Israeli forces target homes and infrastructure across four districts in the south

Tehran dismissed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's assertion that Houthi rebels act as Iranian agents, calling regional instability a result of U.S. military intervention

Israel's political spectrum is defined primarily by positions on Palestinian statehood, territorial control, and security — a contrast to Western democracies where left-right divisions center on economic and social policy

Israeli daily Haaretz reports UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed alerted Netanyahu 10 days before the 2023 Hamas offensive; Netanyahu's office calls the claim false

Israeli forces bombed southern Lebanon after an improvised explosive device killed two soldiers during an operation against Hezbollah infrastructure, marking the first Israeli military deaths since a ceasefire began in June.

The exercise in Eilat and the Arava Valley will simulate surprise attacks and infiltrations by air, sea, and land, following heightened security warnings

Qatar's top diplomats held separate calls with their counterparts in the UAE and Oman on efforts to reduce regional tensions and strengthen bilateral relations.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pandemic-related disruptions have exposed dangerous import dependencies in regions where wheat is essential to the social contract and political stability

Trump declined to confirm U.S. assistance to Iranian dissidents, citing government violence that has killed tens of thousands, while centrist Democrats broke with leadership to back his 30-day military clock.

Two Filipino sailors died as tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's parliament speaker and Israeli defense minister escalated war rhetoric Wednesday

Middle East tensions pushed crude higher, stoking inflation concerns and forcing the bond market to reprice Fed expectations upward, dragging gold lower as yield-bearing Treasuries regain relative appeal.

The S&P/TSX Composite fell 283.44 points Monday, erasing a month of gains as geopolitical pressure drove new 52-week lows to triple from Friday's count.

Palestinian officials say Israel has killed 1,320 people and injured 4,385 since the truce began Oct. 10, 2025, as both sides accuse each other of repeated breaches

The largest defense agreement between the two countries delivers an integrated air defense system as Israeli weapons exports hit record levels.

Sen. Ted Cruz outlined military and economic objectives in the six-month conflict, asserting combat goals are met while a U.S. blockade tightens.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the vital waterway will remain closed until the United States ends its military campaign and lifts economic sanctions.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf met with Qatar's Prime Minister in Tehran as Iran and Oman consider a proposal to reopen the vital shipping corridor.

The defense secretary called the joint strikes the most lethal air campaign in history and confirmed four U.S. service members killed.

Diesel crack spreads hit $102 a barrel Monday—nearly triple pre-war levels—as attacks on Middle Eastern and Russian refineries, Chinese export restrictions, and Hormuz shipping disruptions leave American refineries as the sole functioning major supply source.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced the group's dissolution Tuesday at the presidential palace in Damascus, ending its role as an independent Kurdish-led military force.

The Iranian president told a public gathering that Tehran's military remains ready to fight while diplomacy continues under a 14-point memorandum signed in June.

Washington delisted Syria on Aug. 24, ending a designation since 1979 and opening the way for private investment under new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new secondary sanctions designed to cut off Iran's remaining financial links to the global economy, threatening consequences for any country or company doing business with Tehran.

Hundreds living in a bombed-out Gaza City schoolyard received free check-ups last month — a rare visit that exposed how far medical care has receded from the people who need it most.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Mossad Director Roman Gofman met Sunday to ease tensions following an Israeli military operation.

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