Middle East

Russian satellites helping Iran direct strikes in Middle East, says Ukraine’s Zelensky

Satellite imagery released by Iran shows damage to a structure at Tower 22, a US military outpost on the northern Jordanian border with Syria.—

Houthis fire on Saudi oil sites; no US strike on Iran for first time in two weeks

Pakistan, Iran explore path towards new talks with US in a China-initiated push, sources say

China is said to be unhappy over Iran’s Gulf strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in the Red Sea by Iran-aligned Houthi militants would hit another key trade route Beijing relies on.

Hormuz tanker crossings slip to lowest in more than two months, data shows

A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, on July 16.

US says Saudi nuclear deal off without Israel recognition

US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the deal would take effect only if Saudi Arabia joined the US-brokered Abraham Accords under which several Arab states established ties with Israel.

Iran flew IRGC commanders, missile gear to Yemen’s Houthis, sources say

About a week later, on July 20, the Houthis, whose area of control in Yemen overlooks the waterway, announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.

While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 23, 2026

A nuclear power deal between the US and Saudi Arabia will allow the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium.

Why it makes sense for Trump to back off on Iran, for now

Iran – and particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that now seems to run much of the show -- seems anything but cowed by the US aggression.

Ukraine agrees to export drones to US for Pentagon plan, source says

A service member of the 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment stands next to a heavy strike drone at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Trump attends return of US soldiers killed in Iran war

DOVER, DELAWARE - JULY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) salutes as members of a U.S. Army carry team move the flag-draped transfer case holding the remains of Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, of Carrollton, Texas, during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. Pvt. Gonzales, who was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany, was killed in action during an enemy attack on July 17, 2026, at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.