Gulf

Saudi Defense Minister warns US inaction would ‘embolden’ Iran after denial of airspace access

“At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime,” said Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

|ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
Chief of Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, welcomes Saudi Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2025.
Supporters of Yemen's Huthi rebels attend a gathering to mark annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations in Sanaa on March 28, 2025.

Saudi-UAE split fractures anti-Houthi coalition as Iran-US tension threaten Red Sea - analysis

The coalition architecture that once united Gulf powers against Iranian proxies is now divided, leaving the Houthis facing less coordinated pressure.

|ByWASEEM ABU MAHDI/THE MEDIA LINE
An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean August 10, 2024

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln en route to Middle East as US mulls over Iran strike options

The moves, reported since late Friday, came as US officials and regional militaries coordinated on contingency planning for possible Iranian retaliation.

|ByAMIR BOHBOT
A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Quiet after gunfire targeting unidentified drones heard near Yemen's presidential palace

Aden and adjacent areas are currently controlled by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The leader of the STC had been residing in the palace, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

|ByREUTERS

Iran Guards say they seized two Greek tankers in Gulf

Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to EU sanctions.

MAY 27, 2022ByREUTERS
An oil tanker passes through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea in Istanbul July 20, 2012.

Iran is beginning to understand the Abraham Accords - analysis

Iran was surprised to see the recent Negev Summit where Israel hosted the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt. It is now examining how strong this new alliance might be.

APRIL 3, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid welcomes Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry to Israel ahead of the Negev Summit

Qatar officially becomes US strategic partner in Gulf

Biden administration sees Qatar as helpful for backdoor diplomacy, and as a solution to the growing European gas crisis.

MARCH 14, 2022ByDEBBIE MOHNBLATT/THE MEDIA LINE
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani walk during their meeting in Moscow, Russia March 14, 2022.

Association of Gulf Jewish Communities celebrates one year anniversary

The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities marks its first anniversary, after a year of connecting and supporting Jewish communities in the Gulf.

FEBRUARY 13, 2022BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
CANDLE LIGHTING at the Jewish Council of the Emirates’ Hanukkah party last year, with the participation of Hamdan Al Kindi of AC (Abrahams Consultancy) Partners, considered a close friend of the Jewish community, with Elie Abadie, senior rabbi of the Jewish Council (L), looking on.

Biden intends to designate Qatar as 'major non-NATO ally'

The president informed Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar about his intention during a White House meeting on Monday.

FEBRUARY 1, 2022ByOMRI NAHMIAS
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani shakes hands with US President Joe Biden during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, January 31, 2022.

Voices from the Arab Press: A likely change in Turkish intentions

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

DECEMBER 22, 2021ByTHE MEDIA LINE
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters in Istanbul, Nov. 5.

Gulf summit aims to signal solidarity amid Iran tension

The Arab Gulf states want to show cooperation after a deep division.

DECEMBER 14, 2021ByREUTERS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa hold a meeting at the Royal Palace in Sakhir

Iran seized foreign ship in Gulf for 'smuggling diesel'

The ship's nationality was not revealed, nor when the event had transpired.

NOVEMBER 20, 2021ByREUTERS
Iranian Navy ships on a training exercise

The Great Gulf Citizenship Competition -analysis

In a quest to advance their economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have begun to offer citizenship to a few select foreigners.

NOVEMBER 19, 2021ByKSENIA SVETLOVA/THE MEDIA LINE
SAUDI ARABIA’S envoy and other Gulf states gather in Kuwait in 2017.

Will Israeli policy shift in Syria as US delegations arrive? - analysis

There are major tectonic shifts taking place in the region. But what does this have to do with Syria?

NOVEMBER 18, 2021BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018.