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August 30, 2026

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Iraqi army troops patrol the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border

Iraq reinforces Saudi border security amid militia tensions: What to know

Iraq is sending the reinforcements in response to Iran-backed militia attacks and as it looks to build security ties with Riyadh.

Latest News

France, Saudi Arabia announce more than $10B in deals on MBS visit

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands

Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu: What to know

Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebel movement carry a mock rocket as they demonstrate in the capital, Sanaa, to denounce a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a prison in the country's rebel-held north, on Jan. 21, 2022.

Saudi crown prince heads to France as ties deepen: What to expect

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Houthis claim new strikes on Saudi Arabia after IRGC warning: What to know

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Chairman of the House Armed Forces Committee Adam Smith (D-WA) awaits the arrival of Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford to testify on the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Budget Request from the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC1BF79E5F30

Intel: Key Democrat says Yemen war restrictions 'on the table' in major defense bill

House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., told Al-Monitor today that Democrats are considering renewing last year’s push to cut off US support to the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels as part of Congress’ annual defense authorization bill.

Battle for air supremacy heats up in Libya despite COVID-19 outbreak

The warring parties in Libya are locked in a battle to gain the upper hand in the skies, the outcome of which will determine who grabs the strategic advantage in the conflict.

Riyadh Agreement at risk of collapse in southern Yemen

Tensions flare between Saudi and UAE aligned forces.

A man sprays disinfectant to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inside Jaramana Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria April 1, 2020. Picture taken April 1, 2020. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC29WF9SNKKP

How the pandemic, plummeting oil prices could reshape Middle East

COVID-19 will weaken fragile states, raising risk of failure but creating openings for diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia to pay some private sector salaries amid coronavirus fallout

Riyadh has announced it will cover a portion of private sector salaries in the industries most impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A general view of Business Bay area, after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC2VSF94JGLQ

How COVID-19 will change GCC labor markets

A siren is blaring for local labor markets as the global pandemic and falling oil revenues begin to upend the Gulf states' economies.

Airstrikes on Yemen intensify, shatter hope for peace

The latest Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthi positions in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have ended all hopes for peace as the war-torn country braces for the coronavirus pandemic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 14, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC16798088B0

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 imposes 24-hour coronavirus curfew in Mecca, Medina

Saudi Arabia has shut down virtually all activity in Mecca and Medina as it fights the global pandemic, and authorities are urging Muslims around the world to delay making travel plans for the hajj this summer.

A view shows branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RC2QVF91B7M0

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.

Intel: Trump laments oil price war as Saudis lose key defenders in Congress

President Donald Trump on Tuesday bemoaned the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia that has rattled energy markets and exacerbated coronavirus-related layoffs throughout the United States.

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.