https://www.scmp.com/rss/322264/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from the Middle East. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press When Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the war, choking off sea passage for some 15 million barrels of oil a day, many feared that prices would skyrocket, cratering the world economy. Instead, nearly seven months on, oil is expensive but not exorbitant, and analysts say there is enough oil available to meet current global needs, even as the higher prices cause political problems for US President Donald Trump and others. That’s because Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:40:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Turkey will hand over control of its base in Bashiqa in northern Iraq to Baghdad, the Turkish presidency announced on Wednesday in a joint statement with its neighbour. “In light of progress achieved by these security measures implemented by Iraq, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to the Federal Government of Iraq in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timetable,” a joint statement said. The announcement followed a meeting Wednesday between Turkish President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368571/turkey-hand-over-military-base-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368571/turkey-hand-over-military-base-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:59:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday killed an Indian sailor, Omani and Indian authorities said, with the latter condemning the ongoing attacks in the vital shipping lane. Since the start of the Middle East war, Iran has sought to impose its control over the maritime conduit for Gulf oil and gas, occasionally striking ships accused of failing to coordinate with its authorities or deviating from its preferred route. In retaliation, the US has been enforcing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:20:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US President Donald Trump of a “bullying mentality” at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender in the war with the US but remained open to diplomacy to end the conflict. In a wartime address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian said threats would only ‌harden Iran’s resolve, rejecting Trump’s warning that he could annihilate Iran if no deal were reached. “The remarks made by the US president yesterday … are a sign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368558/irans-pezeshkian-accuses-trump-bullying-mentality-vows-no-surrender?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368558/irans-pezeshkian-accuses-trump-bullying-mentality-vows-no-surrender?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:38:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US-backed Board of Peace is proposing a six-month US$2.45 billion plan to begin reconstruction and governance in Gaza as President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan struggles to stay afloat. At a meeting of the group’s board, the governors unveiled a 66-project blueprint to get things started while acknowledging enormous hurdles that must still be overcome. The projects include ambitious infrastructure, education and health initiatives that are designed to support Trump’s 20-point plan to end... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368551/trumps-board-peace-proposes-us245-billion-gaza-reconstruction-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368551/trumps-board-peace-proposes-us245-billion-gaza-reconstruction-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:37:34 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Paul Bratby had already drawn up plans for expanding to Hong Kong when war broke out in the Middle East earlier this year. But the founder of xBratAI, a Dubai-based AI-powered trading signals platform, soon brought that timeline forward as the Iran conflict dragged on and widened in scope. “Our Hong Kong entity had been scheduled for a few years later, but we established it in early 2026,” he said. Bratby is not alone in looking east. As missiles continue to target Gulf capitals and shipping... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368387/gulf-tech-firms-turn-hong-kong-and-singapore-iran-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3368387/gulf-tech-firms-turn-hong-kong-and-singapore-iran-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Andy Burnham once said he would refuse to meet Donald Trump. Now Britain’s prime minister is about to hold his first meeting with the US president, with Ukraine, the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence and the soaring cost of conflict in the Middle East dominating his agenda. In a sign of the stark decisions facing the neophyte prime minister who took office just two months ago, Burnham announced Monday that he would send a Royal Air Force plane to help Saudi Arabia repel attacks... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368308/uk-pm-burnham-agrees-saudi-request-refuelling-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368308/uk-pm-burnham-agrees-saudi-request-refuelling-support?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:12:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza have returned to in-person teaching for the first time in nearly three years, albeit in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents, and with uniforms, notebooks and pens unaffordable for many families. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) says 98 per cent of schools in Gaza were either destroyed or damaged during the war, and Gaza education ‌officials say about 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368299/gaza-children-return-person-schools-first-time-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368299/gaza-children-return-person-schools-first-time-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:32:33 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations in New York this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people. The annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly will also be consumed with major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: can the leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:54:07 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The prospect of United States, Chinese and Russian leaders meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Shenzhen this November has revived the Yalta analogy. Talk of a Trump-Xi-Putin summit – echoing the 1945 meeting that reshaped the world – surfaced during the first Trump term, and speculation returned last year with the 80th anniversary of the second world war. No such meeting occurred. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the two presidents back-to-back in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367866/middle-powers-dont-have-wait-trump-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367866/middle-powers-dont-have-wait-trump-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese firms have shown “very strong interest” in investing in Oman – across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran – as they aim to tap the lucrative Middle East market while minimising risks, an Omani official said. Banks, asset managers and law firms from China were getting in touch every day to ask about setting up in the International Financial Centre Oman, a free-standing legal zone in the country, the centre’s associate director for business development, Al Hussain al-Qalhati, said. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3368019/chinese-firms-keen-investing-omans-international-financial-centre-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3368019/chinese-firms-keen-investing-omans-international-financial-centre-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 06:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ed Sheeran opened a concert on Saturday with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage. Sheeran began the concert alone on stage with no opener, but was joined by other musicians later in the show. Sheeran said he wanted his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. But he said the attacks in Israel of October 7, 2023, were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368135/ed-sheeran-calls-gaza-situation-unjustifiable-after-macklemore-exit-furore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368135/ed-sheeran-calls-gaza-situation-unjustifiable-after-macklemore-exit-furore?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 01:20:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked “sensitive” sites in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday with missiles and drones, hours after flames and a large plume of smoke were seen near the city’s main airport. Saudi Arabia had sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around Riyadh, amid an escalation in attacks by the Houthis in the kingdom. Reuters video and photographs ‌showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area, with the airport highway, main terminal building and other... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368131/houthis-claim-attacks-saudi-capital-after-flames-seen-near-riyadh-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368131/houthis-claim-attacks-saudi-capital-after-flames-seen-near-riyadh-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 19:25:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press For the Palestinian relief non-profit behind a US$1 million pledge from rapper Macklemore, the Grammy winner’s latest contributions offer more than just money. Macklemore committed to donate his net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after he was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The goal, he wrote in a Wednesday post on social media, was to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs” – the Palestinian people – after a 48-hour period... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368123/macklemores-us1-million-pledge-brings-relief-attention-palestinians-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368123/macklemores-us1-million-pledge-brings-relief-attention-palestinians-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 13:22:15 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo For Ali Mohseni, the impact of the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran is measured not in missile ranges or battlefield maps, but in the insulin pens his 74-year-old mother needs every day. Before the conflict, the Tehran resident said, a five-pack of insulin pens could usually be found at almost any pharmacy, but the price has since more than tripled, while supplies have become so scarce that he sometimes has to visit several pharmacies to find them. “She cannot simply stop taking it,” Mohseni,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368106/iran-medicine-shortages-deepen-war-shipping-restrictions-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368106/iran-medicine-shortages-deepen-war-shipping-restrictions-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:30:32 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service The Iran war has cost US$43.6 billion as of this month, the highest official estimate to date, the Pentagon told Congress’ defence oversight panels this week. The cost estimate comes as polls show Americans increasingly oppose the war, partly over its impact on the economy, and the issue is looming large as the November midterm elections approach. The Pentagon’s latest figure comprises US$11.2 billion already obliged for operating expenses – for fuel, combat pay, aircraft, medical care, parts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368083/how-much-has-iran-war-cost-us-pentagon-estimates-us436-billion-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368083/how-much-has-iran-war-cost-us-pentagon-estimates-us436-billion-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:14:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to analysts. US President Donald Trump on September 12 dismissed the Houthi seizure of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast as a problem that “only affects one country”. Iran has already blockaded the Straits of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s main oil and petrochemicals... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration has approved visas for top Iranian officials, including the president and foreign minister, to attend next week’s UN General Assembly high-level meeting in New York even as the two countries are locked in a stalemated war. The State Department said Thursday that it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation”, along with essential staffers to participate in the UN meetings. The core delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367948/us-allow-iranian-leaders-attend-un-meeting-new-york-amid-wartime-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367948/us-allow-iranian-leaders-attend-un-meeting-new-york-amid-wartime-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:11:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States has approved a US$24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday, the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war. Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel – currently the only country in the Middle East to operate the jets – have voiced concern about their sale to Riyadh despite a push for the kingdom to normalise relations. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367912/us-approves-sale-48-f-35-jets-saudi-arabia-despite-israeli-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367912/us-approves-sale-48-f-35-jets-saudi-arabia-despite-israeli-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:06:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters A UN fact-finding mission on Iran said on Thursday it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes. It also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. The findings in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367887/un-says-us-strikes-iran-school-killed-over-150-may-amount-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367887/un-says-us-strikes-iran-school-killed-over-150-may-amount-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:16:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has turned to regional and Western allies for help as its stand-off with Houthi rebels in Yemen drags on, two regional officials said on Wednesday. The officials said the Saudis have asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defence support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups. The outreach was initiated because Saudi Arabia’s main ally and arms supplier, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367777/saudis-seek-allies-help-missile-defences-run-low-fight-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367777/saudis-seek-allies-help-missile-defences-run-low-fight-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:55:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Abdul Malik al-Houthi, an elusive figure who commands ⁠a battle-hardened force, scored his biggest military victory in years when his Iran-aligned Houthi militant group swept through Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and tightened their grip on a vital shipping waterway, rattling oil superpower Saudi Arabia. The offensive, which has been accompanied by attacks on Saudi Arabia, has put the Houthis in a strong position to call the shots in the Bab el-Mandeb strait by potentially halting global trade in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367764/who-abdul-malik-al-houthi-elusive-yemeni-commander-behind-red-sea-saudi-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367764/who-abdul-malik-al-houthi-elusive-yemeni-commander-behind-red-sea-saudi-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:32:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s defence minister said Wednesday it was only a matter of time before the country resumes full-scale war in Gaza and moves to force out its 2 million Palestinians. Israel Katz, who is known for outspoken remarks, was responding to criticism from another right-wing contender ahead of October 27 elections. Katz said 70 per cent of Gaza had already been emptied of its population in the Israeli offensive launched after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. He said that an October 2025... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367686/israel-prepared-finish-job-gaza-and-remove-palestinians-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367686/israel-prepared-finish-job-gaza-and-remove-palestinians-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:03:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis accused the rebels on Wednesday of targeting Islam’s holy city Mecca, sparking outrage across the Muslim world and deepening the conflict roiling the region. Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea. Last week’s lightning offensive saw the group seize control of the entirety of Yemen’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367663/red-line-saudi-coalition-accuses-houthis-targeting-mecca-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367663/red-line-saudi-coalition-accuses-houthis-targeting-mecca-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:06:58 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military said on Tuesday that it opened fire and destroyed two small Iranian boats this week that were trying to steal a drone ship in the waters off Iran, the latest back-and-forth fire in the stalemated war. Captain Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said the Iranian boats “recently attempted to take possession of a US unmanned surface vessel” but failed after the military “forcefully responded”. Iranian state media reported on Monday that a pair of fishing boats came under... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:26:41 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Global surveys show China is now more popular than the United States in most countries. The reality is China hasn’t become more popular, only that Uncle Sam has become odious. Two recent major summits demonstrate precisely why this erosion has occurred. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and the Group of 20 (G20) gathering in the US, the Trump administration faced withering criticism for policies that have destabilised global commerce, violated... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367044/world-not-so-much-embracing-china-recoiling-trumps-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3367044/world-not-so-much-embracing-china-recoiling-trumps-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The Middle East stands on the precipice of a new nuclear age, with Saudi Arabia set to acquire American uranium enrichment technology and Turkey eager to follow suit, as Iran weighs withdrawal from the treaty that bars it from making atomic bombs. Momentum is building: last week, the United States and Israel both threatened further air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, accusing Tehran of attempting to resurrect its nuclear programme. The country’s three main complexes were buried deep... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US government watchdog released its first report on Monday on the impact of the Iran war, acknowledging the military’s advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East. Much of the information about Operation Epic Fury has been previously reported over the past six months, but the Pentagon inspector general’s report offered the fullest official accounting so far of the conflict’s costs in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367551/price-fury-report-details-iran-wars-toll-us-bases-weapons-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367551/price-fury-report-details-iran-wars-toll-us-bases-weapons-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:20:45 +0000 dpa dpa Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said late on Monday that an oil tanker had struck a sea mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker El Gaia was travelling along the southern route through the strait, which was mined by Iran, state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the IRGC. The entire vessel went up in flames following the detonation of the mine, it said. The US military rejected that account. “The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367515/oil-tanker-has-exploded-strait-hormuz-says-irans-irgc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367515/oil-tanker-has-exploded-strait-hormuz-says-irans-irgc?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:34:23 +0000 dpa dpa Israel’s top military officer on Monday ordered lawyers to examine steps against the filmmakers behind the Gaza war documentary NAZA that took the jury’s special prize at the Venice Film Festival. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir instructed the military prosecutor to “examine and advance possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in it”, the military posted on social media. The statement cited “the spread of false claims about soldiers of the Israeli army as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367509/israeli-army-chief-orders-legal-review-gaza-war-documentary-naza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367509/israeli-army-chief-orders-legal-review-gaza-war-documentary-naza?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:34:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s nuclear chief was blocked from attending an annual conference on Monday at the headquarters of the UN’s nuclear agency in Vienna after US pressure, both Washington and Tehran said. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed to reporters that Washington had applied pressure to stop Mohammad Eslami from entering Austria, saying “he’s a sanctioned individual and we don’t want sanctioned individuals evading their sanctions”. “He asked for a waiver of the sanctions and it was denied.” Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367485/us-blocks-irans-nuclear-chief-vienna-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367485/us-blocks-irans-nuclear-chief-vienna-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:57:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Middle East diplomacy appeared to falter heading into Monday with the postponement of a meeting between Iran and other Gulf powers, while attacks around the region’s two most important oil transit routes deepened concern over global energy supplies. Oil prices jumped more than 3 per cent on Monday, following Houthi strikes on the world’s biggest exporter Saudi Arabia, a separate attack that forced the closure of its key 1,200km (745-mile) east-west pipeline on the weekend, and attacks on ships... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367372/iran-set-unveil-temporary-hormuz-agreement-gulf-nations-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367372/iran-set-unveil-temporary-hormuz-agreement-gulf-nations-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:57:50 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Winston Churchill famously praised the resilience of the British people during the Blitz, describing the nightly bombings of London as a “cruel, wanton, indiscriminate” attempt by Adolf Hitler to break the spirit of a tough “island race”. He was not wrong about the toughness and courage of his fellow citizens. But as one of the United Kingdom’s greatest leaders and historical writers, he created a false impression of the uniqueness of the British wartime experience. Strategic bombing alone,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Houthi fighters on Sunday said they used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia as renewed fighting with Yemen’s government forces forced growing numbers of civilians to flee. The attack at the southern Sharurah base targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people”, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media. The date of the operation was not specified. Clashes have increased... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367329/houthis-hit-saudi-base-after-renewed-fighting-yemen-government-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367329/houthis-hit-saudi-base-after-renewed-fighting-yemen-government-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:46:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Syrian government plans to turn a former military airport in Damascus into a ⁠hub for private jets are raising alarm among rights groups and residents who say redevelopment could disturb suspected mass graves and override private land claims. Syria’s civil aviation authority said last week it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh military airport for limited civilian use, focused on private and executive aviation, to complement Damascus International Airport. Rubble removal and infrastructure... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367282/alarm-syria-plans-private-jet-hub-former-torture-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367282/alarm-syria-plans-private-jet-hub-former-torture-site?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 06:08:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East war. The world’s largest crude oil exporter temporarily closed the pipeline after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack. The 1,200km (745-mile) pipeline running across the Arabian Peninsula had helped Saudi Arabia to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367268/saudi-pipeline-bypasses-hormuz-shut-after-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367268/saudi-pipeline-bypasses-hormuz-shut-after-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:24:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, moving to tighten their grip on a vital global shipping route in the widening Middle East war. Earlier, two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government said its forces had pulled out of Perim and that the Houthis had also taken the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, which faces the island. If the Houthis gain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367232/yemens-houthis-reach-strategic-island-bab-el-mandeb-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367232/yemens-houthis-reach-strategic-island-bab-el-mandeb-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:55:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said Thursday it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1 magnitude tremor. Agence France-Presse journalists in the area heard several explosions. In a video shared by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, a huge fireball can be seen rising into the night sky. The explosion comes a few days after Israeli authorities claimed to have taken control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, saying that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367135/israel-destroys-hezbollah-tunnel-network-south-lebanon-triggering-tremor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367135/israel-destroys-hezbollah-tunnel-network-south-lebanon-triggering-tremor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 03:19:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza from two Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday. The audience clapped continuously for Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after the screening, setting what is thought to be a record in Venice after a 23-minute ovation for another film about Gaza last year. In their film NAZA, Abraham and Szor used conversations with 24 different Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367128/israeli-film-ai-backed-gaza-killings-gets-25-minute-venice-ovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367128/israeli-film-ai-backed-gaza-killings-gets-25-minute-venice-ovation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:42:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters As power cuts cascade through one of Gaza’s largest functioning hospitals and patients wait for treatment in sweltering wards, doctors warn that shortages of engine oil and spare parts are causing generators to seize up, putting lives at risk. The crisis is spreading beyond hospitals, where soaring costs for oil and diesel are making electricity from neighbourhood generators increasingly unaffordable for families that depend on it. Gaza has been without grid electricity since the start of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367095/lives-serious-risk-gazas-hospitals-homes-battle-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367095/lives-serious-risk-gazas-hospitals-homes-battle-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:42:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants have ⁠reached the Red Sea islands of Hanish after capturing the coastal city of Mocha, two Yemeni government sources said, in a dramatic strategic shift that could threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has intensified in recent days, with the militant group shifting its focus to control over Yemen’s long coastline instead of just the north, putting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367067/yemens-houthis-seize-port-city-mocha-closing-control-bab-el-mandeb-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3367067/yemens-houthis-seize-port-city-mocha-closing-control-bab-el-mandeb-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:30:26 +0000 Rizwan Basir Rizwan Basir Every climate summit now runs on the same illusion: the next pledge will be the one that finally saves us. It will not. The money the rich world has promised the poor world is not coming at anything like the scale advertised, and pretending otherwise has become the main business of climate diplomacy. Barely nine weeks before the UN climate summit Cop31 opens in Antalya, Turkey, the honest task is not a bigger pledge. It is to make the finance that already exists reach the people drowning in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366917/cop31-forget-climate-pledges-countries-nepal-need-actual-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366917/cop31-forget-climate-pledges-countries-nepal-need-actual-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s capture of a US military underwater drone gives Tehran an opportunity to study and potentially reverse-engineer the vessel, delivering a setback for the Pentagon and drone maker Anduril. The US military and Anduril have downplayed the significance of the drone falling into Iranian hands. The vessel, a Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle designed for long-range surveillance and other undersea missions, is among a new ‌generation of military drones intended to operate for days with little... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:34:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said he expected the war with Iran to end after the November US midterm elections and threatened again to attack a site associated with the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme after the two sides launched their biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the start of the six-month-old war. Tensions in the region were high, with Saudi civil defence authorities on Thursday issuing emergency alerts in ‌the southwest city of Khamis Mushait for the fourth time in 24 hours, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366972/trump-says-iran-war-will-end-right-after-us-midterm-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366972/trump-says-iran-war-will-end-right-after-us-midterm-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:48:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The UN atomic watchdog’s board on Wednesday reported Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years, citing it for failure to cooperate in a long-running investigation into uranium traces detected by inspectors at undeclared sites. Western officials suspect that the traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme until 2003. Iran says that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, and that its programme is entirely peaceful. Reporting Iran to the Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366971/un-nuclear-watchdog-board-reports-iran-security-council-first-time-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366971/un-nuclear-watchdog-board-reports-iran-security-council-first-time-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 18:09:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An explosion at an arms depot in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province killed 14 people on Wednesday, the local health department said, without specifying the cause of the blast. “The toll from the explosion in a temporary storage for collecting weapons and war remnants near the city of Sarmada … registered 14 killed and 11 injured in a preliminary count,” the Idlib health department said. The Syrian defence ministry’s media department earlier told state television that several of the ministry’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366960/14-killed-explosion-rocks-syria-arms-depot-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366960/14-killed-explosion-rocks-syria-arms-depot-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:40:26 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A battle for control of Yemen’s coastal plains overlooking the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, launched on Friday by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, is rapidly intensifying into an all-out war with Saudi-backed government forces. A wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes launched against four cities in southern Saudi Arabia early on Tuesday, injuring 73 civilians, may prove to be the tipping point in the conflict, analysts say. Coinciding with an escalating battle of attrition between the United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3366909/houthi-offensive-bab-el-mandeb-strait-threatens-new-red-sea-shipping-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3366909/houthi-offensive-bab-el-mandeb-strait-threatens-new-red-sea-shipping-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s factory-gate price growth accelerated in August, while consumer inflation picked up again, amid volatile energy and commodity costs linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. The producer price index rose 3.8 per cent year on year last month, up from 3.5 per cent in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Wednesday. The reading beat a 3.6 per cent projection from economists polled by financial data provider Wind. Meanwhile, the consumer price index (CPI),... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3366851/chinas-factory-gate-price-growth-picks-august-iran-war-fuels-energy-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3366851/chinas-factory-gate-price-growth-picks-august-iran-war-fuels-energy-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:28:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday it had captured a ‌US uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, offering a rare glimpse into how underwater drones are being used in military operations. Iranian state media said the vessel was a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle built by California defence firm Anduril. The 5.8-metre (19-foot) submersible can carry out missions including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering ⁠and the inspection of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366849/iran-says-captured-us-underwater-drone-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366849/iran-says-captured-us-underwater-drone-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:27:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war. The attacks sent the price of oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching US$100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing. Iran also said it had fired ballistic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366837/us-strikes-iranian-tankers-after-more-attempted-missile-attacks-navy-warship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3366837/us-strikes-iranian-tankers-after-more-attempted-missile-attacks-navy-warship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:42:36 +0000