Analysis Looking East: How Iran is leveraging Asia ties to offset Western pressure With sanctions still in place and nuclear talks stalled, Iran is using its SCO membership to forge economic and strategic ties across Central and South Asia. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Iran oil exports to China fall sharply amid US sanctions, weakened demand China is by far Iran’s largest customer for oil, snapping up around 90% of the Islamic Republic’s shipments. Iran
China expands visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait During a landmark summit in Malaysia, China announced an exemption for nationals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait from the need for entry visas. China
Gulf states court China, ASEAN at landmark Malaysia summit: What to know The Gulf Cooperation Council’s summit with the Southeast Asia bloc was expanded to include China, bringing the emir of Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat to Malaysia. Qatar
Analysis Trump promises arms sales to the Gulf, but can he deliver? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis With US-Saudi defense pact stalled, Trump eyes civilian nuclear deal By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Congress doubles down on Middle East defense architecture in NDAA markups To counter China's influence and Iran activities, lawmakers want to expand cybersecurity, maritime and air and missile defense support to Middle East allies and enable Israeli Air Force pilots as Arab leaders begin to engage with Iran. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt hosted US, China, Russia, France, UK nuclear talks The Cairo talks followed a February meeting in Dubai on nuclear non-proliferation as the Biden administration seeks to set new norms with Beijing and Moscow. Russia / Mideast
Libyan police detain 50 Chinese nationals in crypto farm bust Media from the Tripoli Attorney General Office’s Facebook page show a dingy-looking, windowless room full of hardware, wires and servers being raided by authorities. Libya
China signs major LNG deal with Qatar as Beijing’s Gulf push continues QatarEnergy inked a 27-year agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to provide 4 million tons of LNG per year. Qatar
Dubai free zone reports 24% increase in Chinese companies The Dubai Multi Commodities Center has more than 770 Chinese companies in its free trade zone. United Arab Emirates
Saudi FM to visit Iran in first after China deal, Iranian press reports The visit will be the first in years during which Saudi Arabia and Iran were locked in a bitter conflict that has been felt across the region. Iran
China’s Xi hosts Abbas, vows support for Palestinian state on 1967 borders Xi used the word 'Palestine' as he welcomed Mahmoud Abbas on a visit that follows Beijing's offer to mediate peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestine
Saudi Arabia's Arab-China business conference inks over $10B in deals The Arab-China Business Conference yielded billions of dollars worth of deals on electric vehicles, mining, technology and more. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Chinese panda bonds present opportunity for cash-strapped Egypt With this agreement with the African Development Bank, Egypt is the first African country to issue bonds in Chinese currency that are placed in the domestic market of mainland China. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Saudi FM: China cooperation ‘likely to grow,' but US security ties robust Saudi Arabia is a longstanding partner of the United States but it is rapidly building ties with China, its largest trading partner and biggest purchaser of Saudi oil. Saudi Arabia
US sanctions target Iran's ballistic missile ties with China The latest barrage of US economic sanctions came just hours after Iran unveiled what it claimed to be its first hypersonic missile. Iran
Iran set to reopen embassy in Saudi Arabia after 7 years of closure The move is the latest sign of rapprochement between the two countries since reaching a China-brokered deal to resume ties. Saudi Arabia
