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November 2, 2026

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, New York City, Sept. 28, 2026.

Oil tops $114 as traders brace for Iran escalation after US midterms

On Friday, BP posted its highest profits in 18 years as a result of the Iran conflict, which has driven up oil and gas margins.

Security forces stand guard in front of a banner showing the Kaaba during a protest by supporters of the Houthi authorities against the Saudi intervention in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia's recent accusation that the Houthis fired at the holy city of Mecca, in Sanaa on Sept. 18, 2026.

Russian satellite data helped Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia: What to know

A report by The Associated Press found evidence that Russian satellites helped Yemen’s Houthis identify and target specific sites, including energy facilities and military bases, in Saudi Arabia.

A woman walks past a mural bearing the Iranian national flag

Analysis

How wartime urgency pushed Iran to court Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan

Tehran's push for a regional security order independent of Washington could be gaining diplomatic momentum, but the Islamic Republic has competing, if not conflicting, strategic priorities with the countries it hopes to engage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

BILAL QABALAN/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi oil infrastructure in crosshairs as Houthis claim Ras Tanura strike

Ras Tanura is home to the kingdom’s largest refinery and one of the world’s most important oil export terminals.

Latest News

Explainer

As parliament approves, what's driving Egypt's 'defensive' support to Saudi Arabia?

Egyptian soldiers man an infantry fighting vehicle

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

A man looks at a screen displaying the flight schedule at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, on Oct. 12, 2026, as Saudi Arabia-bound flights remain canceled a day after a Houthi strike at Riyadh's international airport.

Saudi Arabia’s KBS, top Turkish and Pakistani officials hold rare meeting in Iran: What to know

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/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

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting of†the†Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Yerevan, Armenia October 1, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1BE1385900

Iran, Saudi Arabia and the 'Trump variable'

Relations between Saudi and Iranian leaders seem to sway precariously from week to week, propelled by a host of outside influences.

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. - RC1D85D15B10

In Riyadh, Putin receives czar-like reception

Russia and Saudi Arabia sign a dozen business deals but it is unclear whether Syria disagreements were resolved.

A metal part of a damaged tank is seen at the damaged site of Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed - RC1BC8385400

The Aramco attack and the rise of nonstate actors

The attack against Saudi Arabia's Aramco facility points to a crucial change on how one traditionally understands armed conflict in the Middle East.

A damaged pipeline is seen at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Khurais, Saudi Arabia, September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed - RC1220EF8C60

Going it alone: Saudi Arabia’s economic realities after oil attacks

The energy sector is Saudi Arabia's lifeline, but it is more often a honey pot of domestic spending than a resource for future development.

What to expect from Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Oct. 14 with a set of economic and security issues on the agenda.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC1FCD450420

Netanyahu’s strategic failures on Iran, Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had gambled on US President Donald Trump to spearhead the struggle against the "Iranian threat," in what now emerges to be a colossal strategic failure.

Presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia arrive for a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, September 16, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1D1AF89BB0

The Takeaway: October 9, 2019

A Saudi flag flutters atop Saudi Arabia's consulate where the missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was last seen, in Istanbul, Turkey October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1A48F23C20

Congress aims to keep spotlight on Saudi Arabia one year after Khashoggi murder

One year after Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Congress still seeks to hold Saudi Arabia accountable despite resistance from President Donald Trump and his allies in the Senate.

Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, are flanked by attendees as they attend a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC15DF9D2FB0

One year on, Turkish human rights advocates lament inaction on Khashoggi murder

One year after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, advocates for human rights and press freedom highlight failures in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Abbas Araqchi, Iranian deputy foreign minister for political affairs (R), Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman (L) and Iran's government spokesman Ali Rabiei attend a news conferenece in Tehran, Iran July 7, 2019. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC188882BBC0

Iran welcomes Saudi signals for de-escalation

Archenemies Iran and Saudi Arabia appear to be closer to de-escalating tensions that have recently risen to all-time highs.

U.S. President Donald Trump sits down to a meeting with of Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, including Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R), during their summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC19B4965AE0

Trump intensifies ‘Arab NATO’ talks after Iran strike

The Donald Trump administration is working to push forward with a military alliance of Middle Eastern states as the international community looks to respond to a suspected Iranian attack on a Saudi oil facility.

Dragon tree of Socotra (Dracaena cinnabari), Diksam, Socotra Island (Unesco World Heritage List, 2008), Yemen.

Island sheikh talks sovereignty in Yemen's war

The chief sheikh of the Yemeni island of Socotra spoke to Al-Monitor about growing foreign interference on the island, which has been so far spared from the fallout of the Yemeni war.