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September 1, 2026

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Mecca Alliance

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan set Mecca Alliance into motion

The three countries are moving to formalize military coordination under the newly named Mecca Alliance amid renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

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

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

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens to Chinese Communist Party Office of Foreign Affairs Director Yang Jiechi speak as the two countries hold a joint news conference after participating in a second diplomatic and security meeting at the U.S. Department of State, Washington, U.S., November 9, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC152C740580

US policy faces blind spots on China, Middle East

The effects of US trade policy toward China may strike a blow on global markets and possibly affect US national security.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Arab summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed - RC192C74A920

As Iran stirs worries, Sisi sets vision for Arab security

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offers a plan to achieve Arab security and counter threats to the Arab region, to avoid war with Iran.

Egypt's hand appears in play behind scenes in Sudan

The head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about Cairo’s role in Sudanese affairs.

A damaged Andrea Victory ship is seen off the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC1C22EB5DB0

Iran says Mossad ‘fabricating intelligence’ on oil tanker attacks

Iran’s foreign minister has condemned the UNSC meeting that will discuss UAE claims about oil tanker attacks.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to reporters on his way to the Senate floor for a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1F178C0200

Republicans rebuke Trump over Gulf arms sales

Congress is going on offense against President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to arm Arab states.

Members of the UAE armed forces secure an area while searching for landmines in Al-Mokha, Yemen March 6, 2018. Picture taken March 6, 2018. Reuters/ Aziz El Yaakoubi - RC1C9EFFB000

Trump presses UAE on alleged human rights abuses in Yemen

The Defense Department says in a new strategy that it has pressed the United Arab Emirates to investigate allegations of torture in Yemeni detention centers.

Iraq electricity minister: US will continue exemptions for Iranian electricity imports

Iraqi Minister of Electricity Luay al-Khatteeb told Al-Monitor that US exemptions in the energy sector will continue amid tensions in US-Iran relations.

Why Arabs are pressuring PA to take part in Bahrain summit

Some Arab countries are placing political and financial pressure on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider its rejection of the Bahrain economic workshop, which the United States is holding later this month to kick off its peace plan.

General view of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 30, 2019. Picture taken May 30, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC14404B7D30

Saudi summits mask Gulf divisions

Saudi Arabia's three summits last week made for impressive imagery, but the unity they projected was superficial.

Why Khamenei’s 'no' on talks with US could lead to 'yes'

Expect chatter of Iran-US dialog to pick up in the coming weeks, even though Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he adamantly refuses to negotiate with the Trump administration.

General view of the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility in Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield at the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia May 22, 2018. Picture taken May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1E18857C40

Saudi Arabia’s new 'freedom' gas

Saudi Arabia has partnered with a US company to export LNG from Texas, and is looking for more LNG deals.

Egypt boosts ties with Gulf countries amid Iranian threats

Egypt has expressed concerns over the growing Iranian threats in the region, fearing it might affect navigation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.