Saudi Arabia

The three Sunni Muslim US allies, ​alarmed by a regional conflagration that ​has brought Iranian missile fire onto Gulf oil exporters, signed the "Mecca Joint Defence ​Agreement" on August 7.

Turkiye has a geographical and institutional foothold in Europe and West Asia. It is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, but it is also the largest Nato member after the US

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a defence pact that treats an attack on one as an attack on all, with Egypt and other countries seen as possible future members

Yemen's Houthis said they attacked an oil facility Sunday in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the latest attack by the Iranian-backed rebels on the kingdom. Meanwhile, Iran has made new demands about the restart of negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Pentagon is pressing the US defence industry to accelerate production of weapons. Here's a look at developments across the Middle East on Sunday. Full coverage can be found here. Houthis target Aramco refinery ---------------------------------- Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, said they targeted an Aramco refinery in the city of Jazan with a drone. The attack was in response to Saudi drones' breaching Yemen's airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada, he said. Early on Sunday, the Saudi Energy Ministry reported a fire at a facility belonging to the Aramco refinery without casualties. The ministry said the fire was extinguished but it didn't describe its cause. Sunday's Houthi attack i

Iran and its allies have been firing on Saudi and other Gulf states, and blockading their energy shipments, since US and Israel attacked it on Feb 28 in major escalation of years of regional tumult

Electronic Arts is now privately owned after a Saudi-led consortium completed its $55 billion acquisition, adding EA to the Public Investment Fund's portfolio of gaming and technology investments

OPEC+ approved a 188,000 bpd output hike for September, completing its planned 2023 supply revival while keeping options open after Middle East tensions ease

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto leader, in a phone call with President Donald Trump raised concerns about the US potentially escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a person familiar with the leaders' discussion. The discussion on Saturday, which was first reported on by Axios, comes as Trump weighs whether to carry out new strikes on Iran. The Saudis, according to the person briefed on the substance of the call but not authorised to comment publicly, are concerned that if the US targets Iran's energy infrastructure or carries out massive strikes on other key infrastructure, Tehran could respond by carrying out attacks on the kingdom's and other Gulf countries' energy infrastructure. The crown prince during Saturday's call sought clarity from Trump on what potential new action he's weighing to take against Iran, the person said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Saturday's call. Saudi Arabia earlier thi

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East early Wednesday as the US partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. Six Iranian advisers were also killed in the US-Saudi strike, two Iraqi militia officials told the Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The flare-up on multiple fronts, after several days of relative calm, raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the US is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies. Meanwhile, a Fox News reporter said in an on-air segment that he spoke with President Donald Trump who, using a series of vulgarities, told hi

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day, while Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn around as part of their self-styled blockade of the kingdom. The attacks underscored lingering tensions despite a period of calm between the United States and Iran, neither of which has announced attacks for days following weeks of escalation over the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi Defence Ministry said in a statement that air defences intercepted and destroyed several drones that had attempted to target petroleum facilities in the nation's eastern region. It said the attacks were "once again launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-affiliated terrorist militias." Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after the Saudis alleged a similar attack on Monday. The Iraqi military said in a statement that Iraq is committed to "preventing Iraqi territo

American and Saudi forces struck sites used by Iran-backed militias in Iraq to carry out attacks in recent days, the US military said Tuesday. "US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," US Central Command said in a statement, using an acronym for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. It said the Revolutionary Guard "and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response." Saudi Arabia said earlier Tuesday that it for a second day shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, which had attempted to target petroleum facilities in the nation's eastern region. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after the Saudis alleged a similar attack on Monday.

Yemen's foreign minister-designate says the Houthis aim to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy by disrupting shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb, raising the risk of wider conflict in Red Sed

The US military said on Saturday that its naval blockade against Iran 'remains in full effect' but did not explain why it halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes

Trump said that the Civil Nuclear Deal pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE already have, will be approved, but is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords

A new crisis is unfolding in West Asia. Yemen's Houthi rebels have announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, putting the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the spotlight. Why is this narrow

Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, two AP sources say. President Donald Trump has approved an agreement with Saudi Arabia that could potentially provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program, according to two people familiar with the matter. The people, who were not authorised to comment publicly about the yet to be formally announced decision, said the agreement is expected to be announced publicly as early as Wednesday. The deal is expected to last 30 years and is also expected to involve US firms in developing the programme. The deal could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following a joint US-Saudi study. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision, which was first reported on by the Wall Street Journal.

Fighting is spreading across West Asia as the US intensifies strikes on southern Iran, Tehran retaliates across the Gulf, and key energy and shipping routes come under growing threat

The proposed agreement, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, is expected to run for 30 years and place American companies at the centre of Saudi's civil nuclear infrastructure programme.

The Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on Monday, opening a potential new front in the war and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf

The Houthis have declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, a move that could affect oil exports, shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and global energy markets