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July 7, 2026

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Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reo

Oil prices ease as OPEC+ increases production, Hormuz traffic rebounds

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.15% to $71.87 a barrel as of 8:07 a.m. EDT after dropping as low as $71.09 earlier in the session, its lowest level since before the US-Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28.

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on Dec. 5, 2017.

Analysis

How Iran war shaped divergent paths to security among GCC states

The Iran war left the Gulf more fragmented than united, with competing security strategies replacing any prospect of a common regional defense.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Oil drilling near Dakhiliyah in the desert region of Hasakah, Syria, Jan. 25, 2026.

Syria launches gas project with Saudi firm in latest Gulf energy partnership

The project is the latest in a series of Gulf-backed investments aimed at rebuilding Syria's energy sector after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress."

Latest News

Explainer

Saudi FM concludes China visit amid Trump-MBS friction: What to know

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud before a family photo for the attendees of a meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority nations at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on November 20, 2023. The international community must take urgent action to stop the "humanitarian disaster" unfolding in Gaza, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations on Novembe

Saudi Arabia's FM heads to China amid differences with US on Iran war

PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

Participants take a break during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed - RC1CBAA19E30

Saudi financial forum visit pays off for India

Riyadh and New Delhi were productive during the Indian prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia last week.

Interview

Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved.

Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US

Al Jazeera spends more than $500,000 defending itself against attacks

The Qatari broadcaster is under attack from Doha’s Gulf rivals.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 15, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC16CE5018F0

Pakistan's diplomacy unlikely to work with Tehran, Riyadh

The world can hope for, but not expect, great things to come from Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent diplomatic trips to Iran and Saudi Arabia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper is welcomed by Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Idrees Ali - RC14E5C39AA0

How Turkey’s Syria incursion could have big impact in the Gulf

Turkey's Operation Peace Spring has exacerbated the divide between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait on the one hand and Qatar on the other.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) speaks to reporters on following a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 9, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC1304787B50

Congress puts heat on Saudis for helping fugitives flee country

Congress is cracking down on Saudi Arabia for allegedly helping its citizens escape the US criminal justice system.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 15, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FB4090FF0

Pakistan hopes to ease hostility between Iran, Saudis

Traveling between Riyadh and Tehran, Pakistan’s prime minister is trying to diplomatically defuse the highly charged situation in the Middle East.

PA seeks warmer ties with Saudi Arabia

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Saudi Arabia for the first time in months, reflecting warmer relations between the two countries.

Putin's visit draws UAE, Russia closer

The UAE's welcoming ceremony for Putin outperformed that of the Saudis but this is not the only reason why the Russian president left Abu Dhabi happy.

Egyptian engineer on death row in Saudi Arabia

Egypt is appealing to the Saudi authorities to reconsider putting an Egyptian engineer to death, sending evidence that he was used to smuggle drugs and did not knowingly commit a crime.

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.