Gulf

Two slicks appear in Gulf as huge oil spill off Oman threatens disaster

One slick appeared off the southern tip of Weshm Island, while a smaller one was spotted near Sirri Island in the center of the Gulf.

A satellite image shows Qeshm Island following suspected oil spills at sea, off the coast of Iran, August 10, 2026.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan forge new alliance as Middle East order shifts - analysis

The sun sets behind the Doha skyline on August 4, 2026.

Gulf states pay the price as shipping crisis exposes costly dependence on the Strait of Hormuz

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ahead of the expected signing of a defence deal between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Saudi Arabia is a 'paper tiger,' weaker than it appears, Israeli former national security head says


Iran's Revolutionary Guards set up covert Iraqi cells to attack Gulf neighbors, sources say

Three or four cells, each comprising about 10 elite Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks from desert locations near the southern cities of Basra and Samawa.

Members of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah attend the funeral of their members, who were killed in an airstrike that targeted a Hashd al‑Shaabi headquarters near the western al‑Qaim district on the Syrian border, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2, 2026.

Taking a page from Iran's playbook, US uses ship-to-ship transfers to smuggle oil out of Gulf

The extent of the ship-to-ship transfers, how they work, and the Apache’s role in the operation have not been previously reported.

3D-printed oil barrels, an oil pump jack and a map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026.

Shippers remain cautious on Strait of Hormuz transit after US, Iran agree on deal

Shippers have welcomed the news of the deal but are still waiting for more details, including mine clearance in the strait.

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026.

Israel's bomb shelter crisis: When sirens sound, millions of Israelis have nowhere safe to go

Safe rooms save lives, but millions of Israelis remain without access to proper protection when sirens sound.

Tel Avivians take cover, June 8.

As Iran weakens, Gulf states are looking beyond the Strait of Hormuz - analysis

The big question in the Gulf is whether Iran will continue to carry out missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries. This includes threats to all the countries Iran has hit.

Kuwaiti officials inspect damage inside a terminal at Kuwait International Airport following a drone and missile attack, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 3, 2026.

As Iran grows more confident, Pakistan is still pushing for a deal - analysis

These talks have gone on for two months. Pakistan has continued to stay the course in terms of trying to be optimistic that a deal is within reach.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in Tehran, Iran, May 17, 2026.

US to make Iranian assets available for repairs in Gulf states that were damaged in Iranian attacks

This after US Treasury Secretary Bessent directed a team to assess conditions among Gulf allies, assessing costs for damage inflicted by Iran.

Fire and smoke rise in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defenses, UAE, March 4, 2026; illustrative.

Gulf states and Netanyahu: Shifting dynamics in Washington’s corridors - opinion

Gulf leaders are using their growing influence in Washington to press President Trump away from Netanyahu’s war footing and toward a regional settlement tied to the Palestinian issue.

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE Mohammed bin Salman (R) receives Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council – the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago – in Jeddah, April 28.

Iran's escalation against Gulf states raises concerns it feels safe attacking neighbors - analysis

Iran claimed this is “conducted in response to a series of US military attacks.”

Iranians walk past an anti-US mural in Tehran on June 3, 2026.

US pushing Oman to break ties with Iran, sees neutrality as threat - report

The report comes less than a week after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it joined Iran's planned tolling of the Strait of Hormuz.

The flags of Oman and Iran fly along a highway in Muscat during the visit of the Iranian president on May 27, 2025.