Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran gathered momentum on Tuesday, with Qatar saying negotiations have reached "very progressive stages" and draft proposals for a possible agreement are now being circulated, even as Iran and Oman continued talks on future shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomatic efforts to defuse the Gulf crisis are expected to gain fresh momentum on Monday as the United States and Iran prepare to resume negotiations, following US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend a planned military strike against Iran.
US President Donald Trump has announced that he is cancelling planned military strikes against Iran, saying significant progress in negotiations has created an opportunity for a broader agreement aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.
The Emirate of Dubai's population reached 4.580 million by the end of 2025, an increase of approximately 332,000 people compared to the end of 2024, representing a growth of 7.5%, it has been revealed.
Saudi food company Al Babtain said it has agreed to sell its entire 3% stake in Jordan-based Chocolate Lake Company to Dubai group Indulgent Food International Holding. The deal is part of Indulgent Food's acquisition of a 70% stake in the confectionery maker from existing shareholders.
The United States launched a heavy wave of airstrikes against Iran late on Wednesday, marking the most significant direct attack on Iranian territory in days and sharply escalating a conflict that is increasingly threatening regional security, global energy supplies and international shipping.
Explosions hit a natural gas loading port on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt on Wednesday, and British maritime security company Ambrey said a US-owned floating storage tanker there had been hit by a drone, said media reports in a potential spread of the Middle East war.
The Iran war broadened over the weekend despite a pause in US strikes, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast and Iran accused Ukraine of targeting one of its vessels in the Caspian Sea resulting in the death of a sailor.
The Middle East conflict entered a new phase over the weekend as the United States paused its bombing campaign against Iran after 13 consecutive nights of strikes, while violence shifted to the Red Sea where Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Saudi commercial assets, prompting retaliatory military action by Saudi Arabia.
Air defence systems in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles from Yemen on Saturday targeting oil refineries in Yanbu, Greek security sources a day after US forces launched fresh air strikes on Iran, said media reports. The defence system was operated by Greek military personnel.
