US-Iran talks set for Geneva amid military buildup
The renewed diplomacy comes as Washington has deployed two aircraft carriers, additional jets and ships, and reinforced air defenses across...
Geostrategy
Trump launches Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ with $10 billion pledge, outlines vague ambitions
Speaking in Washington before representatives from nearly 50 countries, Trump said nine member states had committed more than $7 billion...
Geostrategy
Economy
Battle of the Tech Hubs
The GCC is competing to build world-class technology hubs, investing heavily in AI, infrastructure, and sovereign capital to drive digital...
- The GCC smart cities and digital transformation market reached $145.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $907 billion by 2032.
- Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, for instance, was the largest sovereign-owned investor globally in 2024, deploying $29 billion across 52 deals, a 67 percent increase from the previous year.
Geostrategy
Israeli strikes kill 12 Palestinians in Gaza amid measures to ‘annex’ more West Bank land
Palestinian officials described the Israeli parliament's decision related to West Bank land as a “serious escalation,” while armed groups and...
- Several governments have renewed warnings that unilateral annexation or settlement expansion would violate international law and risk further destabilizing the region.
- The latest Gaza killings also comes as indirect negotiations and mediation efforts have struggled to gain traction.
Geostrategy
Geneva talks loom as Trump backs regime change and redeploys second US carrier
The Pentagon confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved from the Caribbean toward the Middle East, a...
- The addition of a second carrier significantly expands US air power, surveillance capability and rapid strike options in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
- Gulf states, long wary of escalation between Washington and Tehran, have urged restraint while quietly bolstering their own security postures.
Geostrategy
Trump signals second carrier deployment as US-Iran prepare to resume talks
In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have...
- In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have to do something very tough.”
- ranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will demand the lifting of financial sanctions and uphold its nuclear rights, including enrichment
Geostrategy
Iran signals potential dilution of highly enriched uranium if sanctions are lifted
Iran and the US resumed indirect nuclear talks on Monday in Muscat under Omani mediation, marking the first round of...
- Media speculation has focused on Iran’s stockpile of around 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, with reports suggesting Washington has sought its transfer to a third country
- Eslami said Iran continues to engage with International Atomic Energy Agency under existing safeguards agreements, including discussions related to nuclear facilities
Geostrategy
Iran says US talks in Oman a ‘good beginning’ as fears of military confrontation grow
The discussions took place in Muscat, with the US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranian side...
- Oman said its foreign minister held separate meetings with Araghchi, Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and emissary Jared Kushner
- According to a statement, the “consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.”
Geostrategy
US and Iran set for new nuclear talks in Istanbul to revive stalled diplomacy
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced that he has instructed diplomats to pursue negotiations with the United States, signalling a...
- Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Tehran was reviewing several diplomatic initiatives proposed by countries in the region and expected a framework for talks to emerge
- Media reports later suggested that talks could take place in Istanbul on Friday, involving US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Opinion
The GCC must deploy its ‘strategic advantages’ to lead the transition
The models that once governed aid, CSR, employment, and economic engagement are shifting, and the GCC has an opportunity to...
- Across the region, business leaders are confronting a reality already transforming global markets.
- Instead of funding isolated projects, Gulf institutions can help build ecosystems such as agritech clusters, circular-economy value chains,
Geostrategy
Iran’s Khamenei likens protests to ‘coup’, warns of regional war
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a "coup", warning that any US attack on the Islamic...
- The Iranian authorities' deadly response to the protests sparked threats of intervention from US President Donald Trump
- "The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said
Geostrategy
Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact will not include Turkey: sources
The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed...
- "This is a bilateral defensive relationship with Pakistan. We have common agreements with Turkey but the one with Pakistan will stay bilateral," the official said
- The defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, announced last year raised many questions, given that Islamabad possesses nuclear weapons
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
US-Iran talks set for Geneva amid military buildup
The renewed diplomacy comes as Washington has deployed two aircraft carriers, additional jets and ships, and reinforced air defenses across...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Israeli airstrike kills five Palestinians in West Bank
Palestinian medics said an air strike targeting a car in the occupied West Bank killed five people on Thursday, while...
Biden, Kadhemi meeting to focus on US troop withdrawal from Iraq
The White House talks between the two allies come just a week after a deadly attack claimed by the Islamic...
Bomb-laden drones hit Erbil airport in northern Iraq
The attack took place at around 1930 GMT but caused no injuries or major damage Since the start of the...
Battle of the Tech Hubs
Economy
Geneva talks loom as Trump backs regime change and redeploys second US carrier
The Pentagon confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved from the Caribbean toward the Middle East, a...
Geostrategy
Trump signals second carrier deployment as US-Iran prepare to resume talks
In interviews with Israeli media, Trump warned of consequences if negotiations fail. “Either we reach a deal or we'll have...
Geostrategy
Iran signals potential dilution of highly enriched uranium if sanctions are lifted
Iran and the US resumed indirect nuclear talks on Monday in Muscat under Omani mediation, marking the first round of...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
US and Iran set for new nuclear talks in Istanbul to revive stalled diplomacy
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced that he has instructed diplomats to pursue negotiations with the United States, signalling a...
- Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Tehran was reviewing several diplomatic initiatives proposed by countries in the region and expected a framework for talks to emerge
- Media reports later suggested that talks could take place in Istanbul on Friday, involving US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Opinion
The GCC must deploy its ‘strategic advantages’ to lead the transition
The models that once governed aid, CSR, employment, and economic engagement are shifting, and the GCC has an opportunity to...
- Across the region, business leaders are confronting a reality already transforming global markets.
- Instead of funding isolated projects, Gulf institutions can help build ecosystems such as agritech clusters, circular-economy value chains,
Geostrategy
Iran’s Khamenei likens protests to ‘coup’, warns of regional war
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a "coup", warning that any US attack on the Islamic...
- The Iranian authorities' deadly response to the protests sparked threats of intervention from US President Donald Trump
- "The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said