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August 24, 2026

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Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Traders are awaiting details about new US measures sure to further disrupt Iranian oil flows.

Ohad Zwigenberg / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Netanyahu yields to Trump on Gaza, betting Hamas won’t disarm

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to advance the US administration's Gaza plan in a meeting with envoy Jared Kushner despite his skepticism about Hamas' commitment.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

Explainer

Qatar launches diamond exchange as Hormuz crisis chokes LNG exports

diamonds

Interview

Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman on July 10, 2026.

Jihad Azour

Jihad Azour

Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Reve Chaaban

In Doha reporting on culture

Cautious optimism around Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal but hurdles remain

The latest Qatari outline is based on a previous US proposal and has Israel somewhat hopeful for a deal with Hamas.

Fire and smoke rise from a building, reportedly hit by a missile fired from Iran, in central Tel Aviv on June 13, 2025.

Analysis

A new era? Why Israel-Iran war didn't spook global markets as expected

Past Middle East wars sent markets tumbling, but today's investors have grown accustomed to such shocks, perhaps setting the stage for future market miscalculations.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

In this frame grab taken from a video, missiles and air-defense interceptors illuminate the night sky over Doha after Iran launched an attack on US forces at Al Udeid Air Base on June 23, 2025, in Doha, Qatar.

Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire as IRGC targets Qatar's Al-Udeid

The US president announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israe would start Tuesday 6:02 p.m. EST (1:02 a.m. Tel Aviv; 1:32 a.m. Tehran Wednesday) after 11 days of fighting.

Members of the Petroleum Oils and Lubricants squadron at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing take a break from replacing a 50,000-gallon fuel bladder in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, on Dec. 30, 2002, in Al Udeid, Qatar.

No initial US casualties in Iran’s strike on US base in Qatar: Pentagon

Limited Iranian retaliation at the partially evacuated air base could leave off-ramp for political leaders on both sides.

Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

US Embassy in Qatar tells Americans to shelter in place as Iran plans retaliation

Qatar also announced the temporary suspension of air traffic as a precautionary measure.

Muslim worshippers make their way towards the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in in the holy city of Mecca to take part in morning prayers on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, early on June 6, 2025.

Culture

In photos: Muslims kick off Eid al-Adha across the Middle East

The holiday’s arrival cast a spotlight on deepening humanitarian crises, leadership transitions and shifting regional dynamics.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Al-Shaibani met with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the Qatari capital, Doha, on June 3, 2025.

Syria courts Gulf investment with high-level Qatar visit amid $7B energy deal

Led by the country’s top diplomat, Syria’s ministers of energy, finance and tourism held a series of meetings in Qatar on Tuesday.