West Asia And The Gulf

US renews West Asia travel alert, warns Iran conflict may escalate rapidly

At least 11 US embassies cautioned about possible travel disruptions

Saudi Arabia issues aerial threat alert after explosion heard in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia warned of a "hostile aerial threat" and issued a string of emergency alerts across the kingdom, including in its capital, late Friday and early Saturday. Also Saturday, Iran's state TV reported that a man was executed after being convicted on charges of spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad. Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Alerts sound across Saudi Arabia for aerial threat ---------------------------------------------------- Saudi Arabia warned of a "hostile aerial threat" after issuing a string of emergency alerts across the kingdom late Friday and early Saturday, and at least one explosion was heard in the capital, Riyadh. The alert heard in Riyadh was first for the Saudi capital since the latest escalation with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. No casualties or damage were reported after the alerts were lifted. Saudi authorities didn't say what prompted the alerts or the cause of the audible explosions, but they previously repo

Saudi Arabia faces 'worst-case scenario' after being rebuffed by Trump

The kingdom is in a state of strategic shock after coming under attack from an emboldened Iran and failing to win more US military support, analysts say

Brics Declaration addresses West Asia tensions, condemns Pahalgam attack

The unanimous statement voices concern over West Asia, Gaza, Sudan and Syria, condemns the Pahalgam terror attack and flags rising military spending and nuclear risks

Brics nations call for smooth flow of energy supplies amid W. Asia conflict

The Delhi Declaration urged maximum restraint and diplomacy as grouping seeks stable energy markets, uninterrupted supplies and resilient infrastructure amid escalating tensions

Brics countries should firmly stand on right side of history: Xi at Brics

Addressing the Brics summit, Xi said the West Asia war doesn't serve global interests, and urged member countries to play a pioneering role in maintaining peace and stability

West Asia war strains margins for apparel makers as raw material costs rise

The West Asia war is driving up polyester, cotton, energy and freight costs, squeezing apparel manufacturers and potentially pushing clothing prices higher

L&T wins 13 orders since July, signalling revival in West Asia business

While the engineering giant only shares a range instead of giving out the exact order value, a Bloomberg News estimate pegs the average at about ₹1.11 trillion in the ongoing quarter

China starts first regular container service through Arctic: Why it matters

The service, officially called the China-Europe Arctic Express and branded by the Chinese carrier as the 'Ice Silk Road', will sail along Russia's Northern Sea Route

Iran says Qatar holds 3 missing pilots as Hormuz attack raises tensions

The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, while the Iran-backed Houthis struck a Red Sea port in Yemen. In Southern Lebanon, nine people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, some of the deadliest since a shaky truce between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on June 20. Here's a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here. A vessel is attacked in the Strait of Hormuz ---------------------------------------------- A tanker owned by Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati state-run WAM news agency said Saturday. The attack happened Friday evening, and there were no injuries, the agency reported. This is the third such attack on vessels operated by ADNOC in the critical waterway in the last week. In a statement on Saturday, the United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for the attack and called on it to stop

Iran, Oman edge closer to Hormuz shipping routes deal as war continues

The move follows a series of attacks in Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas transited before the war

Iran says Hormuz reopening depends on US accepting its conditions

A US official on ​Friday reported progress between Iran and Oman that could soon reopen the ​Strait of Hormuz

India repatriated 4,048 seafarers from Gulf amid West Asia crisis: Sonowal

The government is committed to ensuring the safety of every Indian seafarer and has repatriated 4,048 seafarers from the Gulf region following the West Asia crisis, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday. Addressing stakeholders at a discussion on the 'Seafarer Security, Safety and Welfare' here, Sonowal also expressed confidence that India would soon become the world's largest supplier of seafarers. The discussion was part of an event to launch an integrated e-governance and digital maritime services platform E-Samudra, hosted by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA). "Our main objective is to ensure the safety of each and every Indian seafarer deployed on ships globally. We have so far repatriated more than 4,048 seafarers. They have been brought back safely, and we have extended help to their families as well," the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways told the media. According to the ministry, DGMA monitored more than 16,000 calls,

16 Indians killed in West Asia conflict this year, govt tells Parliament

Since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East this year, 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have lost their lives in the region, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in response to a query from CPI(M) MP John Brittas in the Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of External Affairs was asked the number of Indian seafarers and other Indian nationals killed, injured, stranded or evacuated due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. "Since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East in 2026, 16 Indian nationals including 10 seafarers have lost their lives in the Middle East (one in Saudi Arabia; two in Kuwait; eight in Oman; one in Iraq; and four in UAE), and 75 Indians have been injured (32 in UAE; 24 in Oman; four in Qatar; 13 in Kuwait; one in Saudi Arabia; and one in Israel)," Singh said. In a separate accident not related to attacks, 12 Indian nationals lost their lives in Ras Laffan gas

India condemns attack on Cyprus-flagged vessel; 1 Indian seafarer missing

India condemned the attack on GFS Galaxy as deeply worrisome and said its embassy in Oman was coordinating with local authorities in the search operation

Iran hits US military targets in Gulf, lays slain leader to rest

Iran struck US military targets in Gulf states after fresh American airstrikes, while Tehran pursued diplomacy with Oman and Türkiye to prevent wider regional escalation

West Asia crisis caused ₹74,781 cr loss on fuel sales for oil firms: Puri

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said rising crude prices during the West Asia conflict led to ₹74,781 crore in losses for state-run OMCs till June 30

Israel, Lebanon reach framework deal to end conflict, advance peace talks

Israel will maintain a "security zone" along the boundaries of the yellow line, which marks a seized territory that stretches some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanon from the Israeli border

Rubio hails US-Gulf Arab unity despite region's concerns about Iran deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that relations between the United States and its Gulf Arab partners are rock solid, despite fears by some of them that they might be left out of discussions aimed at ending the war with Iran. Rubio used a three-day, three-nation trip to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain this week to try to convince all the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that the Trump administration does indeed have their backs in negotiations to end the war President Donald Trump and Israel launched on Feb. 28. That conflict sharply curtailed the region's oil exports and saw several Gulf countries take direct retaliatory Iranian missile and drone hits. "They've shared with us some very concrete concerns, ideas," Rubio said in Bahrain, the last stop on the trip. "And when I say concern, the biggest concern is that they really just want to be informed every step along the way as we enter these negotiations at both the technical and political ...