Hormuz traffic sinks to one-week low as ships attacked, talks stagnate The United States and Yemen's Houthi rebels carried out separate attacks on commercial ships on Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea. Iran
Turkey’s Fidan heads to Libya as US-backed unification push gathers pace The Turkish foreign minister will hold talks in both Tripoli and Benghazi as Ankara seeks to preserve its military, maritime, energy and commercial interests while Washington pushes Libya’s rival camps toward a power-sharing arrangement. Turkey
Kuwait's LNG imports climb to highest level since start of Iran war The country's domestic gas production has fallen drastically since the beginning of the US-Israel-Iran war in February. Kuwait
Explainer UAE-Egypt ties keep growing as Cairo navigates shifting Gulf landscape An Emirati investor could soon strike a $2.7 billion deal to develop another tourism project on Egypt's North Coast, the latest in a string of UAE-linked pacts that have continued advancing despite turmoil from the US-Iran war. Egypt
Is the new OPEC+ deal a win for Russia? The new OPEC+ deal has some advantages for Russia but some of the potential long-term implications may be dire for Moscow. Saudi Arabia
Is Oman’s model of governance about to shift? Oman's debts are piling up as oil prices crash, putting at risk its wide-reaching social welfare system. Oman
Amid Saudi-Russia price war, US on track to become net oil importer: Report The coronavirus and the Saudi-Russia oil price war are contributing to a fall in US oil production and the United States is expected to become a net oil importer again in the fall. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Russia rebuts Trump’s claim that Saudis agreed to oil compromise President Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to a compromise to end the ongoing oil price war after a discussion between President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia
Can Iran's president turn around its economy? Iran's economic plight — compounded by US sanctions, low oil prices and COVID-19 — depends on risky and difficult reforms for a turnaround. Iran
Saudis risk losing last Republican defenders with oil price war The oil price war places the Saudis at risk of losing their previously stalwart defenders on Capitol Hill, the last line of defense against legislation targeting the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Can Russia, Saudi Arabia strike new OPEC+ deal with US help? As the OPEC+ deal has expired, Russia and Saudi Arabia remain at odds, though the United States offered encouraging words that production cuts might be negotiated. Saudi Arabia
How will the COVID-19 crisis impact US-Iran tensions? If Iran can hold out long enough against COVID-19, Tehran and Washington might be able to come to terms. United States
Intel: Republicans dial up pressure on Saudis to end oil price war with Russia Republicans are throwing their weight behind the Donald Trump administration’s push to get Saudi Arabia to end its oil price war with Russia, which has increasingly squeezed American energy companies as the coronavirus runs rampant throughout the United States. Saudi Arabia
Archive Upfront from Mar 26, 2020 Turkey appears to want more than Syria’s oil Like Moscow and Washington, Ankara seems to be coveting the oilfields of Deir ez-Zor in Syrian Kurdistan, which Kurds fear would give Turkey an opening to take over the entire Rojava area. Syria
Intel: How the US is relying on Riyadh to reassure global markets In a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Saudi Arabia to “rise to the occasion” as the escalating coronavirus crisis and the kingdom’s standoff with Russia continue to hammer global markets. Saudi Arabia
Is another economic crisis looming in Iraq, with dropping oil prices? Iraqis are expressing great concern about the low oil prices amid the coronavirus outbreak, as the government may not be able to pay their salaries in the coming months. Iraq
