The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed landmark agreements on Tuesday to move toward establishing normal relations with Israel, setting in motion a potentially historic shift in Middle East politics at a White House ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump.
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Donald Trump
Video: Saudi prince says Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ “strips away” the heart and soul of Palestine
Prince Turki Al Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence, says President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for Middle Eastern peace is a monstrous conception of Palestinian state
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
‘Iranian hackers’ claim breach of US govt website
The website of the Federal Depository Library Program was replaced with a page titled ‘Iranian Hackers!’
2019 Prediction
Video: How the IMF’s economists make predictions
The IMF’s World Economic Outlook is one of the most closely-watched set of forecasts in the world.
Abqaiq
Saudi crown prince hosts Iraq PM for talks on oil attacks
Baghdad has denied any link to the attacks amid reports that the assault was launched from Iraq
BWI Airport
US airport security finds ‘souvenir’ missile launcher bought in Kuwait
The man, a resident of Jacksonville, Texas, told officials that he was an active military personnel
Airspace
Which Middle East flights have been most affected by the Iran-US tensions
Diversions can add thousands of miles and several hours to journeys, deterring passengers and swelling the fuel bill
Aaron Cutler
President Trump ‘really popular’ in Gulf, says top Washington lobbyist
Attorney, DC lobbyist and staunch Republican Aaron Cutler said he believes that US expats in the region should not expect changes to tax policy for Americans overseas
American troops
Russia urges US, Iran to ‘show restraint’ amid growing tensions
The US on Monday said it approved the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East
geopolitics
Video: What we know about the Gulf of Oman oil tanker attacks
Norwegian and Japanese ships hit close to Strait of Hormuz this week amid escalating war of words between Washington and Tehran and following similar attacks on vessels last month.
Arrest
Iran frees Lebanese man convicted of spying for US
Nizar Zakka is the head of The Arab ICT Organisation, a non-profit that advocates the growth and development of information and communications technology in the Middle East
Narendra Modi
Pompeo eyes closer ties with Modi on India visit
The US Secretary of State will also visit Sri Lanka
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe heads to Iran on a mediation mission
Tehran is locked in a bitter standoff with the US after president Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal last year
Baghdad
New US ambassador meets with Iraqi FM in Baghdad
Matthew Tueller has served as US ambassador to both Yemen and Kuwait, and had been previously posted in Baghdad
Abu Dhabi
US-UAE defence agreement comes into force
US national security advisor John Bolton was in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, meeting his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Donald Trump
Trump moves to strangle Iran economy as nuclear deal withers
US President Donald Trump moved to inflict greater economic pain on Iran, imposing sanctions that would punish anyone who buys or trades the country’s iron, steel, aluminium and copper
First female ambassador in Saudi
Saudi Arabia names Princess Reema bint Bandar as first female ambassador
Prince Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the powerful crown prince who was appointed vice defence minister